折りたたみテープテザー展開装置の地上実験

現在、欧州および米国との国際共同プロジェクトとして、観測用小型弾道ロケットとエレクトロダイナミックテザーを組み合わせたシステムをもちいた理学実験の準備が進められている。この実験計画では、テープ状のベアテザーが用いられる予定であり、弾道飛行の序盤に迅速かつ安全にテープテザーを展開する必要がある。本発表では、テープテザーの展開機構に関して、タワー型の展開実験装置を用いた展開実験や2段式水ロケットを用いた展開実験などの概要などを紹介する。
A sounding rocket experiment is proposed as a space science experiment for observation of e-layer density by using a tape tether system. The bare electrodynamic tape tether is employed as the observation mechanism in the project. In the mission, the tape tether system is required to finish deployment for enough length in a limited short time in the initial ballistic flight phase. The bare electrodynamic tape tether is stored in the box with the foldaway storage method, which is a new concept of tether deployment schemes. Although there still remains some further testing of the tape material, this foldaway method is expected to be free from serious trouble in the rapid development. Moreover, the bare tape tether is expected to have high durability for the debris, and has good performance of electro conductive characteristic. Several on ground fundamental experiments have been preparing to prove the new technology. The present paper introduces some experiments and demonstrations concerning to the deployment system of the tape tether in the Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU)/Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology (TMIT). A tower type test facility has been developed in order to install the bare tape tether vertically and to simulate the dynamics on the orbit by the employment of the two rollers. The bare tape tether is deployed from lower position to vertically higher position by driving of the two rollers device. This tower type test facility is designed to fit to the tape tether deployment system of real size. In the present paper, the basic performance of the facility will be presented. In addition, 30 [m] class tape tether deployment demonstration is tested by a small model rocket experiment. The small model rocket is a twin stage water rocket system, and equipped with the downsized deployment system with the model tape tether made of paper.
資料番号: AA0063480040