An Anlaysis of the Behavior of Long Tetherlines in Space

Item

Title
An Anlaysis of the Behavior of Long Tetherlines in Space
Date
1962
Index Abstract
Not Available
Photo Quality
Not Needed
Report Number
AMRL TDR 62-123
Corporate Author
Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories
Laboratory
Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories
Extent
13
PB Number
PB112190
Identifier
AD0293222
Access Rights
OTS
Distribution Classification
1
Contract
Laboratory Research - No Contract
DoD Project
7184
DoD Task
718405
DTIC Record Exists
No
Distribution Change Authority Correspondence
None
Distribution Conflict
No
Cover Price
0.5
Abstract
To determine the feasibility of using long tetherlines to aid in orbital docking or to recover astronauts operating outside a vehicle an analysis was made of the behavior of an inert mass on the end of a tetherline as it is reeled in toward a more m ssive vehicle. Only copla ar mo ions were considered. Three methods of reeling the mass in toward the vehicle were analyzed: impulsive jerks on a slack tetherline, constant line tension, and constant reel-in speed. The first two methods result in complex pat s which intersect t e vehicle only after long periods of ime. The third method results in a spiral path in which both the velocity and centripetal acceleration of the mass approach infinity as the line length approaches zero. Since angular momentum of the mass around the vehicle is very nearly conserved, the magnitude of the retrieval problem depends primarily on the initial length of the tetherline and the initial tangential velocity of the mass. Reeling in a line a few hundred feet in length can result in forces which would be intolerable to an astronaut.
Report Availability
Full text available
Date Issued
1962-11
Provenance
RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
Type
report
Format
1 online resource
Creator
Mueller, Donald D.
Media
AMRLTDR62-123.pdf