A technical overview of TSS-1: The first Tethered-Satellite system mission

Summary

The Tethered-Satellite System (TSS) was developed to provide the capability of deploying satellites on long, gravity-gradient-stabilized tethers from the Space Shuttle. Although TSS-1 achieved only limited results because deployment was terminated at a distance of only 268 m, it did conclusively show that the basic concept of long gravity-gradient-stabilized tethers is sound, and it provided a unique set of data that will contribute significantly to future missions. In this context, it is important that the configuration, instrumentation, and results of the TSS-1 mission be documented. Here, we provide a brief overview of the TSS, the organization of its instrumentation, and its operations during TSS-1. Detailed descriptions of the various investigations and their specific instrumentation and measurement capabilities are given in the papers that follow.