NASA/CR-181371, NASA CONTRACTOR REPORT: TETHERS IN SPACE HANDBOOK (AUG-1986)

NASA/CR-181371, NASA CONTRACTOR REPORT: TETHERS IN SPACE HANDBOOK (AUG-1986)., The Tethers in Space Handbook is designed to serve as a reference manual for policy makers, program managers, and engineers alike. It documents all known tether applications for space uses, ranging from near-term approved missions such as the Tethered Satellite System to farterm planetary exploration missions. A brief summary of each application is presented, as well as a listing of principal investigators and references for further reading. The Tethers in Space Handbook also provides descriptions of all currently planned or approved tether missions, on-going tether studies, and a short tutorial on the mechanics of tether behavior. Applications and ideas presented in this handbook have been gleaned from a variety of sources, including workshops, contractor studies, and NASA documentation. The international community, especially the Italian researchers, have contributed substantially to the body of the applications.