Mechanics of very long tethered systems

A space elevator has been proposed as an alternate method for launching satellites; however, the materials available now are not strong enough to support the stress generated in the structure. On the other hand, with the existing technology, a partial elevator is feasible. In this paper, the mechanics of a very long tethered system that functions as a partial elevator is studied. For such a system, the center of mass, center of gravity, and center of orbit are not coincident; disregarding this distinction can lead to erroneous results. A relation between these three points is presented in this paper. A consistent stress distribution along the tether is obtained by taking into account the distinction between these points. Dynamics of the system consisting of two end bodies, the tether (with mass), and a climber is examined. The equations of motion are derived using the Lagrangian formulation and analyzed numerically.

► The partial space elevator is modeled as a very long tethered system. ► A relation between the mass center, gravity center, and orbit center is presented. ► A consistent stress distribution along the tether is obtained. ► The equations of motion are derived using the Lagrangian approach.