Comparative Saturn‐Versus‐Jupiter Tether Operation

Abstract

Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, among the four Giant Outer planets, have magnetic field B about 20 times weaker than Jupiter. This could suggest, in principle, that planetary capture and operation using tethers, which involve B effects twice, might be much less effective at Saturn, in particular, than at Jupiter. It was recently found, however, that the very high Jovian B itself strongly limits conditions for tether use, maximum captured spacecraft-to-tether mass ratio only reaching to about 3.5. Further, it is here shown that planetary parameters and low magnetic field might make tether operation at Saturn more effective than at Jupiter. Operation analysis involves electron plasma density in a limited radial range, about 1–1.5 times Saturn radius, and is weakly requiring as regards density modeling