Masahiro Nohmi, Shoichiro Takehara, Yoshiaki Terumichi, Kiyoshi Sogabe
Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress on Sound and Vibration 2269-2276 2003年
Tethered satellite systems (TSS offer various attractive potential applications in space, and therefore, they have been an object of study for over two decades. It is difficult to expect its motion under an existing numerical model of a string, which confirmed by experiment on the ground. Hence, we performed the experiment for analyzing motion and vibration of a tether under microgravity, in order to construct a simulation model of a space tether. Several kinds of experiment for a tether were done using the drop shaft, which can provide microgravity environment during about 4 seconds. Tether motion was measured by tracking white markers at constant intervals on the tether. Pictures taken by two CCD cameras make it possible to obtain a position in 3D space by image processing software. Basic motion of a constant length tether was examined. Also, retrieval of a tether having a rigid body at its end was performed.