Analysis and Design of a Tether Boost Facility for Martian Satellite Transfer

A constellation of navigation and communication microsatellites over Mars will greatly improve the precision and quality of future Mars exploration missions. Most past studies have focused on deploying and maintaining this constellation using conventional propulsion approaches. This study as an entry in the AIAA Undergraduate Spacecraft Design Competition looked at an alternative approach using tethers. The Asimov Red tether facility is a fully reusable momentum transfer transport system that can rapidly send constellations of satellites to Mars without requiring large expensive rockets paired with orbit transfer vehicles. The facility is a large spacecraft weighing 1 9,705 kg orbiting Earth in a 6773 x 18013 km elliptical orbit. A retractable tether 78 km long, paired with a grapple capable of independent target acquisition and payload capture, serves to pick up and toss payloads from a 350 km altitude LEO orbit into a lunar gravity assisted transfer orbit to Mars. The tether also possesses an electrical core, allowing it to restore its orbit through electrodynamic reboost after tossing payloads to its destination. This paper will discuss all facets of the Asimov Re d tether facility including the astrodynamics, logistics, and costs. Asimov Red was named the winner in the 2002 AIAA Undergraduate Spacecraft Design competition.