ABSTRACT
One of the main modes of stabilisation of motion of a small TSS of length up to 1 km and total mass up to 100 kg is the stabilisation by rotation. In this connection a small TSS rotating about the mass centre is the most accessible version of a system for conducting the full-scale experiment. Small TSS stabilised by rotation can be also of independent interest. For example, if a rotating TSS may change its string length, the tension and angular velocity of the system can be used for studying the physics of the space plasma and the physics of the high atmosphere and magnetosphere. Rotating TSS can serve as the integrated sensor for studying of the effects of physical fields of the Earth. Rotating TSS with two tip bodies having various ballistic coefficients may be used for altitude measuring of atmospheric density. Here we consider the process of deployment from a spacecraft board of a small TSS stabilised by rotation. The physical parameters of the TSS have the following values: the distance l between bodies is of the order of 100m, total mass m is about 20 kg. Angular velocity ωc of the system is in a range 0.1− 1 s−1. At an initial instant the plane of rotation of the system coincides with the orbital plane of the mass centre of TSS. It is supposed that TSS is fixed before deployment on the main spacecraft, which moves on a near-circular orbit practically coinciding with the demanded orbit of the mass centre of the TSS. Separation of bodies of TSS during its deployment is realised by means of spring thrusters, whose axes are located in the orbital plane at the separation instant.
