On the Mechanics of Periodic Motion and Control of Tethered Satellite System in Elliptical Orbit

Abstract

This study investigates the periodic motions of an in-plane tethered satellite system in elliptical orbits. The equations of motion of the system are derived, and periodic solutions are obtained by perturbation method. Then, the stability properties of the periodic solutions are studied. Analysis results show that the periodic solutions become unstable when orbital eccentricity is larger than a critical value. Two classical control schemes are used to convert the unstable periodic motions to stable ones. Stability analyses of periodic solutions of the two controlled systems show that the two control methods can improve the critical value of orbital eccentricity. Numerical simulations of the controlled system are carried out to demonstrate the validity of the stable region.