The ProSEDS conductive tether design incorporates two distinct types of tethers from a plasma interaction viewpoint. The 200 m closest to the Delta II spacecraft is insulated from the plasma, and the remaining 4800 m is semi-bare. This latter portion is considered semi-bare because a conductive coating, which is designed to collect electrons from the plasma, was applied to the wires to regulate the overall tether temperature. Because the tether has both insulating and conductive tether...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), PLASMA INTERACTIONS, TETHERING, INSULATION, SPACE PLASMAS,...