Dynamics of two spring-connected masses in orbit (Q1358650)

This paper discusses relative equilibria (or steady motions) and their stability for the dynamics of the system of two spring-connected masses in a central gravitational field. The system can be regarded as a simplified model for the tethered satellite system, where the tether is modeled by a (linear or nonlinear) spring. For the simple system treated in this paper, we prove that nongreat-circle relative equilibria do exist. The notion of steady motions used in engineering literature is linked with the notion of relative equilibria in geometric mechanics.