This paper describes the test of a tether deployment system using a cold gas thruster in a microgravity environment. The deployment system consists of a Hold Down and Release System (HDRS) and a tether end-body, which houses the cold gas thruster. The end-body connects to the tip of the tether, initially stored on a reel in a canister. The HRDS fixes the end-body to the canister prior to deployment and releases it after activation. An experiment rack fixes all the systems to the aircraft and ensures a deployment path free of obstructions. The goal of the experiment is to determine a deployment profile, which sets out deployment time against deployed tether length, and to determine the behavior of the end-body and tether. The deployment velocity is determined from the measured rotational velocity of the reel. The motion of the tether and tether end-body is recorded using cameras. The results show the possibility of using a cold gas thruster to start the deployment of the tether. The results though are heavily biased by the instability of the end-body and the residual acceleration of the aircraft.
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