Long-Term Libration Dynamics and Stability Analysis of Electrodynamic Tethers in Spacecraft Deorbit

Abstract

AbstractElectrodynamic tether systems orbiting the Earth are prone to libration instability because of periodic changes in the geomagnetic field, plasma density, and lunisolar gravitational attractions in addition to nonperiodic changes resulting from the irregularity of the geomagnetic field, inhomogeneity of the Earth, and solar pressures. The long-term orbital and libration dynamics of a bare electrodynamic tether in deorbiting obsolete satellites is investigated by considering space environmental perturbations of current-induced electrodynamic force, atmospheric drag, Earth’s oblateness, irregularity of the geomagnetic field, variable space plasma density, solar radiation pressure, and lunisolar gravitational attractions. The electrodynamic tether is assumed to be rigid and the tethered spacecraft is modeled as a lumped mass. The study shows by numerical simulation that the out-of-plane libration is the primary source of libration instability in inclined orbits, which destabilizes the in-plane librati...