• STABILITY OF THE EQUILIBRIUM POSITION OF THE CENTRE OF MASS OF AN EXTENSIBLE CABLE CONNECTED SATELLITES SYSTEM IN THE ELLIPTIC ORBIT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF PERTURBATIVE FORCES

Abstract

During the motion of a cable connected satellites system, at least one equilibrium point exists when perturbative forces like Air-resistance, shadow of the earth due to solar radiation radiation pressure, magnetic force and oblateness of the earth act simultaneously. We have obtained two equilibrium points out of which only one is found to be stable in case of perturbative forces like shadow of the earth due to solar radiation pressure, magnetic force  and oblateness of the earth act simultaneously on the motion of two extensible cable-connected satellites. Lyapunov’s theorem has been used to examine the stability of the equilibrium points.