User talk:Tblaxland
ZTC Tether-Sling Transportation System
|
Project home: ZTC Tether-Sling at Orbiter-Forum |
The ZTC Tether-Sling Transportation System project uses tethers for propellant free transfers of payloads between solar system bodies.
It is expected that some propellant will be used by fine-tuning of transfer trajectories. Testing has shown that for lunar transfers corrections of 25m/s are typically required.
Principle
The basic principle of a momentum exchange tether is to take momentum from the tether's orbit and transfer it into the payload's orbit. The momentum of the tether can then be recharged over time using solar powered electrodynamic propulsion to allow it to prepare to transfer further payloads.
Electro-Dynamic Propulsion
Tether Locations
Tethers are planned for Earth (Ananke for lunar transfers and another for Mars transfers), Moon (Khronos) and Mars. Development work is progressing on Ananke at present.
Earth
Ananke
Ananke-MX
Ananke-MX is a stretched version of Ananke for transferring payloads to Mars. MX is short for Mars eXpress.