Stability of a Tethered Satellite Formation about the Likins-Pringle Equilibria
Abstract
Previous efforts have been directed at the guidance and control of free flying satellites clusters using reaction thrusters. A tethered formation of satellites has great potential to enhance surveillance and imaging of earth objects. To maintain the shape of formation and keep the tethers in tension, the system needs to be spinning. General study has been focused on a planar formation and the results showed that Earth pointing configurations are not stable. This study demonstrates that spin stabilization and the use of gravity gradient for formation flight with tethered satellites reduce the necessity of thrusters for station keeping maneuvers. A tethered satellite formation, which consists of three satellites at the corners of an equilateral triangle, and two end bodies at the opposite side of this triangular plane is studied to obtain the stability based on the Likins-Pringle relative equilibrium for rigid satellites, for long period. Depending on the size of the formation and the mass ratio of the satellites to end bodies, tethered satellite formation showed that long-term stability is achievable for a continuously earth-pointing system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA401589
Entities
People
- Ayhan Tuncay
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology