High-performance space electrodynamic tether technology based on metal-clad fibers

Electric current and its corresponding Lorentz force in electrodynamic tether (EDT) will be generated by the potential difference between the tether surface and the space plasma, once the flying tether orbiting Earth cuts through Earth’s magnetic field. This study focuses on optimizing the braiding process of EDT in order to enhancing their electron collection capability, including parameter design, material selection, and manufacturing techniques. A prototype EDT with metal-clad fibers is fabricated based on the proposed design. Afterwards, the atomic oxygen and electron collection experiments are completed to evaluate oxidation resistance and electron collection performance of the EDT. The results show that no structural degradation is exposed in the metal-clad fibers in the EDT under high-density atomic oxygen flux, confirming robust oxidation resistance. Besides, the space plasma environment experiment is conducted to analyze the relationship between tether current and bias voltage.