Lifting body effects on the equilibrium orientation of tethers in the atmosphere

Abstract

In recent years, a large number of tether atmospheric missions to the Earth and other planets have been proposed. Tethered probes in these studies are generally modeled as simple spheres and altitude must be maintained using slow tether reel mechanisms. In missions where large atmospheric uncertainties are expected, this slow altitude control mechanism may prove unacceptable. Using a hypersonic lifting body as the probe provides an additional means for controlling the tether system. The use of a moveable tether attachment point represents a simple mechanism to control the altitude and aerodynamic forces of the lifting probe. In this paper we investigate the effects of this control mechanism on the equilibrium orientation of a tether system in circular orbit. These preliminary results indicate that the lifting body provides a significant level of control over the probe altitude.