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1 km and 30 km Space Tethers To Be Satellite Tested
Moderator note: this post is okay, but please, we're not a Space forum. Thanks, AoS.
Tethers Unlimited will launch the MAST Experiment March 27 on a Dnepr rocket. The Multi-Application Survivable Tether (MAST) will be the secondary payload. The MAST experiment consists of three staked picosatellites. Once on orbit, the picosatellites will separate and deploy a 1,000 meter (1 KM) long Hoytether™ structure.

Three days after launch communications should be established and checks will begin of the picosatellites. Seven days after launch the picosatellites will begin to separate.

The middle picosatellites, called "Gadget", will very slowly crawl up and down the tether pictures for analysis will help determine how quickly a tether experiences damage due to impacts by micrometeoroids and orbital debris, as well as erosion by atomic oxygen and UV light.

The total cost of the MAST program is under $1 million and was partially funded by NASA's Small Business Technology Transfer contract as well as internal funding...

...So after posting the the story on tomorrow's launch of Tether Unlimited's MAST Experiment a couple of days ago, which we promoted on NASA Watch, we were subsequently contacted by Second Young Engineers' Satellite (YES2) team about their upcoming tether launch. And what an exciting project it is.

The Yes2 team is sponsored by ESA and the satellite is expected to launch in early May after its final review. They sent us a press release with the latest news including this description of the experiment:
"One of the most important aspects of this innovative mission is the deployment of a 30 km long tether to deploy the Fotino mini-satellite and re-entry capsule.

Not only will this be the longest artificial structure ever deployed in space, but it will also be the first time that a tether has been used to return a payload from space. The flight is intended to demonstrate how such a tether can be used to change a satellite's orbit without attitude control systems or rocket engines."

And the fantastic-sounding Space Elevator Project continues. Man, if they could get that thing to work, it would change everything.
Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-04-06
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=185089