Optimal Deployment of a Tethered Satellite using Tension Control

摘要

We investigate the deployment of a tethered satellite from the space station, which moves along a Keplerian elliptic orbit with small eccentricity. The control of the satellite's motion is performed by applying a restricted tension force along the connecting tether. The goal of the control is to steer the satellite from a periodic state close to the local vertical position to a periodic motion farther away from the space station in shortest time.