Dynamics and Control of a Tether Sling Stationed on a Rotating Body

This paper analyzes the dynamics of a tether sling stationed on a rotating moon or asteroid. Emphasis is placed on the out-of-plane motion induced when the facility is located at a nonpolar latitude. Although significant out-of-plane oscillations are found in the open-loop behavior, the motion stabilizes about some finite amplitude. The mechanism for this stabilization is analyzed and the out-of-plane oscillation is characterized with respect to system parameters. Further stabilization of the system is shown to be possible by modulating the tether length, maintaining the reusable nature of the system.