Аннотация:Motion of a pendulum attached with a tether to a rotating asteroid of arbitrary shape is considered. Equations of motion are obtained, conditions for the tether being stretched are investigated. The constraint releasing process, as well as the opposite process are also considered. For more general problem, when the asteroid and the plumb line are of comparable masses, the conditions of existence and stability for steady motions are investigated.
The computer model for dynamics of the tethered space system (TSS) is built via consideration of mechanical system subjected a unilateral constraint. The model is constructed as a hybrid automata. At the same time corresponding automata state variables are able to have values of Real type. It turned out, that such an approach provides a possibility for efficient building up the numeric model for transfers from constrained state of mechanical system to its unconstrained, free state and back.