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Re: NASA's Tethered Generator



Subject:   Re: NASA's Tethered Generator
  Date:    Mon, 19 May 1997 07:56:05 +0000
  From:    "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net>
    To:    Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


At 04:40 AM 5/19/97 +0000, you wrote:
>Subject:   Re: NASA's Tethered Generator
>  Date:    Sun, 18 May 1997 17:52:21 -0400 (EDT)
>  From:    ASyme-at-aol-dot-com
>    To:    tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>
>
>If I remember correctly there is an electron gun mounted on the shuttle
>and
>aimed at the ball at the end of the tether... This provided the return
>path
>for the current flow ..You don't hear much about this part pf the system
>and
>it is difficult to find good information on the experiment ..I got my
>info
>from an article in Aviation Week mag which has good articles before and
>after
>each shuttle flight about the experiments on board ........  Al Syme
>
>--------------------------------------------------------

  Al -

  If you go to this URL -

     http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/tsslr/

  you will find reams of information about the tether experiments that
NASA
is performing.

  NASA had little trouble getting the tether to produce electrical
power.
They had plenty of trouble trying to stabilize the instrument sphere at
the
end of the tether. If the sphere was deployed too slow the tether got
tangled. If the sphere was deployed too fast it snapped the tether and
took
off on its own orbit.  

  John Couture