Abstract
Tether systems are a promising line in the development of space technologies. They can be used for various purposes, in particular, for returning small payloads from low-earth orbits as, for example, in the YES2 experiment carried out by the European Space Agency on the Foton-M3 spacecraft in September 2007. The key to the successful deployment of a tether system is a reliable navigation support of the experiment. The paper discusses some problems of navigational support that emerged in the course of this unique experiment. The procedures used for post processing of the navigation data are described. The results obtained make it possible to estimate the Foton-M3 motion pattern during the YES2 experiment and make indirect conclusions about the actual deployment of the tether system and tether cutting off moment.
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Belokonov, I.V., Bondar, M.V. & Kudryavtsev, I.A. Problems of navigational support of a tether system deployment by an example of the YES2 experiment aboard Foton-M3. Gyroscopy Navig. 1, 341–349 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2075108710040164
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S2075108710040164