Operational complexities of real tether systems in space

Some of the major operational concerns that have to be addressed in planning a real tether mission, such as the TTS-1 mission, which is due to fly on the Space Shuttle in the early 1990's, are discussed. Specifically, several operational hazards, such as the tether reel overtorque and the loss of tether system control, are considered from the viewpoint of flight crew, who must be able to detect the presence of a problem and to determine the corrective action to be taken. Various safety measures are discussed.