Mar
09

Today in Smithsonian History: March 9, 1994

Graphic of the US Naval Research Laboratory's TiPS tether satellite. Note that only a small part of the 4 km tether is shown deployed. Via Wikipedia Commons

Graphic of the US Naval Research Laboratory’s TiPS tether satellite. Note that only a small part of the 4 km tether is shown deployed. (Image via Wikipedia Commons)

March 9, 1994 A tethered-satellite experiment conceived and designed at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is successfully launched by NASA. The experiment confirmed that a 20-kilometer-long, 0.8-centimeter-thick plastic cable could suspend a payload in space with a minimum of oscillation and swing.

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Posted: 9 March 2019
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