Choosing a program for controlling the deployment of an orbital tether system with deployment speed limitations

The problem of delivering payload in the form of a descent capsule using an orbital tether system is discussed in the paper. The dynamic law of controlling the deployment of an orbital tether system in the form of time dependence of the tether tension force is considered. It is shown that if a previously obtained optimal (relay) program of controlling the tether tension force is implemented the speed of tether deployment can reach high values. To reduce the speed of tether deployment a program of controlling the deployment of an orbital tether system, with prescribed limitations on tether deployment speed is obtained. Numerical simulation of orbital tether system deployment is carried out for the program of controlling the tether tension force with limitations on tether deployment speed. It is established that introducing too tight limitations on the speed of tether deployment does not make it possible to deliver the payload – a descent capsule - to the Earth surface. The dispersion of the points of landing of the capsule on the Earth surface caused by introducing limitations on tether deployment speed is analyzed