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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
A Tether in Space
Explanation: One of the greatest unrequited legends of outer space is the tether. Tethers , long strands of material, hold the promise of stabilizing satellites , generating electricity , and allowing easy transportation . Possibly the most ambitious vision of the space tether is the space elevator popularized by Arthur C. Clarke , where a tether is constructed that connects the ground to geosynchronous orbit . One problem is strength - it is difficult to make a long useful tether that does not snap. Pictured here is the deployment of the Tethered Satellite System 1 (TSS-1) by the space shuttle Altantis in 1992. Like other tested tethers, TSS-1 failed to live up to its promise, although many valuable lessons were learned.
Free APOD Lecture: January 9 in DC
| Date | January 7, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit: TSS-1 , STS-46 Crew, NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |