Slingshot orbital injection revisited

摘要

In the two-cut tether slighshot injection procedure, the free end of the tether induces unstable oscillations, and the small mass of the typical tether provides little momentum transfer in the second cut. A small modification improves behavior on both counts: leave one mass attached to the free end. This has a stabilizing effect on the pendular libration. More momentum is transferred at the second cut, resulting in higher apogee. However, the system center of mass after the first cut is lower, resulting in a lower apogee. Both effects have to be balcned to attain maximum lifetime.