{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32766"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32766","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Optimal Electrodynamic Tether Phasing and Orbit-Raising Maneuvers","abstract":"We present optimal solutions for a point-mass electrodynamic tether (EDT) performing phasing and orbit-raising maneuvers. An EDT is a conductive tether on the order of 20 km in length and uses a Lorentz force to provide propellantless thrust. We develop the optimal equations of motion using Pontryagin's Minimum Principle. We find numerical solutions using a global, stochastic optimization method called Adaptive Simulated Annealing. The method uses Markov chains and the system's cost function to narrow down the search space. Newton's Method brings the error in the residual to below a specific tolerance. We compare the EDT solutions to similar constant-thrust solutions and investigate the patterns in the solution space. The EDT phasing maneuver has invariance properties similar to constant-thrust phasing maneuvers. Analyzing the solution space reveals that the EDT is faster at performing phasing maneuvers but slower at performing orbit-raising maneuvers than constant-thrust spacecraft. Also several bifurcation lines occur in the solution spaces for all maneuvers studied.","abstract_html":"We present optimal solutions for a point-mass electrodynamic tether (EDT) performing phasing and orbit-raising maneuvers. An EDT is a conductive tether on the order of 20 km in length and uses a Lorentz force to provide propellantless thrust. We develop the optimal equations of motion using Pontryagin's Minimum Principle. We find numerical solutions using a global, stochastic optimization method called Adaptive Simulated Annealing. The method uses Markov chains and the system's cost function to narrow down the search space. Newton's Method brings the error in the residual to below a specific tolerance. We compare the EDT solutions to similar constant-thrust solutions and investigate the patterns in the solution space. The EDT phasing maneuver has invariance properties similar to constant-thrust phasing maneuvers. Analyzing the solution space reveals that the EDT is faster at performing phasing maneuvers but slower at performing orbit-raising maneuvers than constant-thrust spacecraft. Also several bifurcation lines occur in the solution spaces for all maneuvers studied.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bitzer, Matthew Scott"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Aerospace and Ocean Engineering","degree_department":"Aerospace and Ocean Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Hall, Christopher D."],"committee_members":["Cliff, Eugene M.","Woolsey, Craig A."],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-04-30","date_published":"2009-04-30","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:08Z","subjects":["Optimal Control","Electrodynamic Tethers","Orbit Transfers"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-05142009-153456"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-05142009-153456","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32766","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Hall, Christopher D."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Cliff, Eugene M.","Woolsey, Craig A."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bitzer, Matthew Scott"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:36:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:36:49Z","2009-06-17"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2009-04-30"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Optimal Control","Electrodynamic Tethers","Orbit Transfers"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-05142009-153456"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32766"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["We present optimal solutions for a point-mass electrodynamic tether (EDT) performing phasing and orbit-raising maneuvers. An EDT is a conductive tether on the order of 20 km in length and uses a Lorentz force to provide propellantless thrust. We develop the optimal equations of motion using Pontryagin's Minimum Principle. We find numerical solutions using a global, stochastic optimization method called Adaptive Simulated Annealing. The method uses Markov chains and the system's cost function to narrow down the search space. Newton's Method brings the error in the residual to below a specific tolerance. We compare the EDT solutions to similar constant-thrust solutions and investigate the patterns in the solution space. The EDT phasing maneuver has invariance properties similar to constant-thrust phasing maneuvers. Analyzing the solution space reveals that the EDT is faster at performing phasing maneuvers but slower at performing orbit-raising maneuvers than constant-thrust spacecraft. Also several bifurcation lines occur in the solution spaces for all maneuvers studied."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Optimal Electrodynamic Tether Phasing and Orbit-Raising Maneuvers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Hall, Christopher D."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Cliff, Eugene M.","Woolsey, Craig A."],"dc:contributor.department":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Bitzer, Matthew Scott"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:36:49Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:36:49Z","2009-06-17"],"dc:date.issued":["2009-04-30"],"dc:description.abstract":["We present optimal solutions for a point-mass electrodynamic tether (EDT) performing phasing and orbit-raising maneuvers. An EDT is a conductive tether on the order of 20 km in length and uses a Lorentz force to provide propellantless thrust. We develop the optimal equations of motion using Pontryagin's Minimum Principle. We find numerical solutions using a global, stochastic optimization method called Adaptive Simulated Annealing. The method uses Markov chains and the system's cost function to narrow down the search space. Newton's Method brings the error in the residual to below a specific tolerance. We compare the EDT solutions to similar constant-thrust solutions and investigate the patterns in the solution space. The EDT phasing maneuver has invariance properties similar to constant-thrust phasing maneuvers. Analyzing the solution space reveals that the EDT is faster at performing phasing maneuvers but slower at performing orbit-raising maneuvers than constant-thrust spacecraft. Also several bifurcation lines occur in the solution spaces for all maneuvers studied."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-05142009-153456"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32766"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Optimal Control","Electrodynamic Tethers","Orbit Transfers"],"dc:title":["Optimal Electrodynamic Tether Phasing and Orbit-Raising Maneuvers"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:08Z"}