Review Article
History of the Tether Concept and Tether Missions: A Review
| Mission | Year | Sponsor | Orbit | Length | Status |
| Gemini XI | 1967 | NASA | LEO | 50 m | Launched | Gemini XII | 1967 | NASA | LEO | 30 m | Launched | TPE-1 | 1980 | NASA/ISAS | Suborbital | 400 m | Launched | TPE-2 | 1981 | NASA/ISAS | Suborbital | 500 m | Launched | TPE-3 (CHARGE-1) | 1983 | NASA/ISAS | Suborbital | 500 m | Launched | CHARGE-2 | 1985 | NASA/ISAS | Suborbital | 500 m | Launched | MAIMIK | 1986 | NASA/NDRE | LEO | 400 m | Launched | ECHO-7 | 1988 | USAF | Suborbital | — | Launched | OEDIPUS-A | 1989 | NRC/NASA/CRC/CSA | Suborbital | 958 m | Launched | CHARGE-2B | 1992 | NASA/ISAS | Suborbital | 500 m | Launched | TSS-1 (STS-46) | 1992 | NASA/ASI | LEO | 267 m | Launched | SEDS-1 | 1993 | NASA | LEO | 20 m | Launched | PMG | 1993 | NASA | LEO | 500 m | Launched | SEDS-2 | 1994 | NASA | LEO | 20 m | Launched | OEDIPUS-C | 1995 | NASA/NRC/CRC/CSA | Suborbital | 1 km | Launched | TSS-1R (STS-75) | 1996 | NASA/ASI | LEO | 19.6 km | Launched | TSS-2 (STS-75) | 1996 | NASA | LEO | 100 m | Cancelled | TiPS | 1996 | NRO/NRL | LEO | 4 km | Launched | YES | 1997 | ESA/Delta-Utec | LEO | 35 m | Launched | ATEx | 1999 | NRO/NRL | LEO | 22 m | Launched | PICOSATs | 2000 | Aerospace corporation | LEO | 30 m | Launched | MEPSI | 2002 | Aerospace corporation | LEO | 15.2 m | Launched | ProSEDS | 2003 | NASA | LEO | 15 m | Cancelled | MAST | 2007 | NASA/TUI/Stanford | LEO | 1 km | Launched | YES2 | 2007 | ESA/Delta-Utec | LEO | 31.7 m | Launched | STARS | 2009 | Kagawa university | LEO | 5 m | Launched | T-REX | 2010 | ISAS/JAXA | LEO | 300 m | Launched | TEPCE | 2013 | NRO/NRL | LEO | 1 km | Planning |
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