Artist's impression of the Tethered Satellite System TSS-1 vehicle in orbit. TSS is a joint US/Italian venture to demonstrate the technology of tether

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Artist's impression of the Tethered Satellite System TSS-1 vehicle in orbit. TSS is a joint US/Italian venture to demonstrate the technology of tethered satellites. TSS-1 is due for launch on Shuttle Mission STS-46. Once in orbit, the Shuttle will deploy the satellite up to 20km above and below its orbit at the end of a Kevlar tether. The TSS-1 will gather data on plasma and electrodynamic coupling of the system, study vehicle charging and will make measurements of the Earth's magnetosphere. It will also generate some 4kW of electricity as it crosses Earth's magnetic field lines. TSS-1 is due for launch in late 1992.

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Size: 4724px × 3812px
Photo credit: © MARTIN MARIETTA CORPORATION/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: research, satellite, science, scientific, tethered, tss-1