LAUSR

Abstract The nonlinear resonant motions of a tethered satellite system (TSS) in elliptical orbits are studied in this paper. The mathematical model of the system was derived using Lagrange's equations and an analysis of the parametric domain of the resonance was performed. It was revealed that internal resonance or combination resonance could occur in the system, but they did not occur simultaneously. The steady-state solutions of the system under combination resonance and internal resonance were analytically analyzed using the multiple scales method. The results showed that the steady-state solutions of the combination resonance and internal resonance had different bifurcation characteristics. Finally, the Poincare maps was employed to verify the analytical results.