[Special Issue of In-Space Flight Experiments of Electrodynamic Tether] Experiment for Attitude Control of a Tethered Space Robot on the Sounding Rocket

Abstract

This paper describes the space experimental result for the Tethered Space Robot -S (TSR-S) on the sounding rocket “S-520-25.” A tethered space robot is a new type of space robot connected to tether. The major advantage of the tethered space robot is that its attitude can be controlled under tether tension by its own link motion. The S-520-25 was launched on August 31. The TSR-S experiment was started at 285 seconds after the launch. The launch lock was unlocked and the robot was deployed by the springs. The tether was extended and kept its tension, and the attitude control of the robot was performed. The disturbed vibration of attitude was suppressed, and also the desired attitude was controlled by link motion of the robot.