Aimed at engineering students and professionals working in the field of mechanics of space flight, this book examines space tether systems – one of the most forward-thinking directions of modern astronautics. The main advantage of this technology is the simplicity, profitability and ecological compatibility: space tethers allow the execution of various manoeuvers in orbit without costs of jet fuel due to the use of gravitational and electromagnetic fields of the Earth. This book will acquaint the reader with the modern state of the space tether's dynamics, with specific attention on the research projects of the nearest decades. This book presents the most effective mathematical models and the methods used for the analysis and prediction of space tether systems' motion; attention is also given to the influence of the tether on spacecraft's motion, to emergencies and chaotic modes. - Written by highly qualified experts with practical experience in both the fields of mechanics of space flight, and in the teaching - Contains detailed descriptions of mathematical models and methods, and their features, that allow the application of the material of the book to the decision of concrete practical tasks - New approaches to the decision of problems of space flight mechanics are offered, and new problems are posed

Rigid Body Dynamics for Space Applications explores the modern problems of spaceflight mechanics, such as attitude dynamics of re-entry and space debris in Earth's atmosphere; dynamics and control of coaxial satellite gyrostats; deployment, dynamics, and control of a tether-assisted return mission of a re-entry capsule; and removal of large space debris by a tether tow. Most space systems can be considered as a system of rigid bodies, with additional elastic and viscoelastic elements and fuel residuals in some cases. This guide shows the nature of the phenomena and explains the behavior of space objects. Researchers working on spacecraft attitude dynamics or space debris removal as well as those in the fields of mechanics, aerospace engineering, and aerospace science will benefit from this book. - Provides a complete treatise of modeling attitude for a range of novel and modern attitude control problems of spaceflight mechanics - Features chapters on the application of rigid body dynamics to atmospheric re-entries, tethered assisted re-entry, and tethered space debris removal - Shows relatively simple ways of constructing mathematical models and analytical solutions describing the behavior of very complex material systems - Uses modern methods of regular and chaotic dynamics to obtain results

Tethered Space Robot: Dynamics, Measurement, and Control discusses a novel tethered space robot (TSR) system that contains the space platform, flexible tether and gripper. TSR can capture and remove non-cooperative targets such as space debris. It is the first time the concept has been described in a book, which describes the system and mission design of TSR and then introduces the latest research on pose measurement, dynamics and control. The book covers the TSR system, from principle to applications, including a complete implementing scheme. A useful reference for researchers, engineers and students interested in space robots, OOS and debris removal. Provides for the first time comprehensive coverage of various aspects of tethered space robots (TSR) Presents both fundamental principles and application technologies including pose measurement, dynamics and control Describes some new control techniques, including a coordinated control method for tracking optimal trajectory, coordinated coupling control and coordinated approaching control using mobile tether attachment points

During many of the earliest American and Russian space missions, experiments were performed using cables to connect people and objects to spacecraft in orbit. These attempts generated considerable information about the formation of tethered systems and basic problems with tether orientation and gravity-gradient stabilization. During the 1970s, inte