Electrodynamic tethers working in inclined orbit are affected by dynamic instability due to continuous pumping ofenergy from electromagnetic forces into the tether attitude motion. This paper proposes a new control scheme toremove this instability. The procedure is based on an extended delay feedback control method that has been usedsuccessfully in problems with one degree of freedom. When simple dynamic models are used, unstable periodic orbitsappear in the attitude dynamics. By adding appropriate forces to the system, the unstable periodic orbits becomeasymptotically stable. Such a stabilized periodic orbit can be taken as the starting point for the operation of theelectrodynamic tether. This analysis assumes a rigid tether, with two end masses orbiting along a circular inclinedorbit, and a constant tether current, which does not depend on the attitude and orbital position of the tether. TheEarth's magnetic field is modeled as a dipole aligned with the Earth's rotation axis.
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