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You can use an ion engine instead or even an electrodynamic system to raise the orbit. Just let electricity flow in the tether and the interaction with the magnetic field of the earth will raise the orbit of the station without any fuel.
This just seems too simple. The current will either go up or down the tether, the magnetic field will be perpendicular to the velocity and the current. Consequently the force will either increase the orbital velocity of the system or decrease the orbital velocity of the system. This kind of system will mean the cable will transmit the same about of force in the direction of the velocity of the dock with less tension. The effect should be to pull the dock up some and pull the counter weight down some. This could introduce waves traveling in the tether which will do some crazy things to the dynamics of the system. For this to work the current in the tether must be changed very slowly. All I can say is thank goodness for the atmospheric drag. The engineers will aprciate its damping. All I can say is thank goodness for the atmospheric drag. The engineers will appreciate its damping.
Wait one minute. Here is the problem. Current can’t just flow one way forever. In order to complete the circuit there must be some way of collecting charge at one end of the tether and getting rid of it at the other. Laser induced lightning? Naa.....That wouldn’t be safe.
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GCNR: I was referring to the close resemblence of the ISS configuration to that of Mir, when I wrote that they got it right from the start--detail for detail--right down to the personnel transportation and remotely controlled supply scheme. What have we done that's better, conceptually? The Canadarm(s), perhaps, but we're done with that too. That's why I'm a fan of the Russian and Chinese space efforts just now: It's because something new keeps on happening to advance their respective rograms. Makes me wish we were doing something equally energetically. But the "war" keeps getting in the way. . . .
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Another use for tethers in space.
Electrodynamic Tethers: Getting into the Swing
An electrodynamic tether (EDT) is a simple idea, but one with an amazing number of uses. An EDT system is made up of two masses in orbit connected by a long, flexible, electrically conductive cable; the tether is essentially a wire that moves through the magnetic field of the Earth (or another planet or large body). An EDT takes advantage of two basic principles of electromagnetism: current is produced when a conductive wire moves through a magnetic field, and the field exerts a force on the current.
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