Dynamics of a multi-tethered satellite system near the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point

This paper examines the dynamics of a tether connected multi-spacecraft system, arranged in a wheel-spoke configuration, in the vicinity of the L 2 Lagrangian point of the Sun-Earth system. First, the equations of motion of a N-body system are obtained and equilibrium configurations of the system are determined and small motions about one of these configurations are analyzed. Then, a numerical analysis of the free tether libration is carried out for a three-mass case when the system is near L2 and the parent mass is assumed to be in a halo orbit of different sizes. Finally, a set of control goals are defined and a time domain state feedback control system is integrated into the numerical model. The performance of the control system is tested under different conditions.