Parallel Algorithms Design for the Motion Simulation of Tethered Satellite Systems Using Graph Models

Tethered satellite systems (TSS) are characterized by uneven distribution of mass and environment parameters in space. As a result the use of mathematical models with distributed parameters is required. This kind of systems is described by the differential equations with complex boundary conditions. The complexity of the boundary conditions is caused by the presence of the end-bodies that perform spatial fluctuations, and by the variable length of the tether. Computer simulation of TSS motion takes a long time. This paper presents a parallel algorithm for motion simulation of the TSS and representation of this algorithm in the form of a graph model in graph-symbolic programming technology. The speedup of a parallel program that implements the proposed algorithm is evaluated for shared memory and distributed memory computer systems. This evaluation is compared with the results of experiments made on computer cluster. The advantages of using graph models of algorithms for modeling the motion of the TSS are discussed.