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A Study of the Motion of Four Linked Satellites Controlled Using Lorentz Forces

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Abstract

This paper considers four satellites connected to each other by electrodynamic tethers, which are assumed to be rigid in the mathematical model of the system’s motion. In the Earth’s magnetic field, current-carrying conductors are affected by Lorentz forces, which are used to control the motion of the system’s center of mass and the angular motion. The paper presents an algorithm for calculating the magnitude of the current to stop the drift of the center of mass of a tetrahedral formation relative to the desired orbital reference frame in low Earth orbit and spin the system up to a constant angular velocity relative to the center of mass. A numerical study of the convergence time to achieve the required motion is carried out depending on the maximum possible current and initial conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    K. S. Chernov & D. S. Ivanov

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  1. K. S. Chernov
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  2. D. S. Ivanov
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Correspondence to K. S. Chernov.

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Translated by M. Chubarova

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Chernov, K.S., Ivanov, D.S. A Study of the Motion of Four Linked Satellites Controlled Using Lorentz Forces. Cosmic Res 61, 339–351 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952523700296

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