Experiment and analysis of a space tether with pendulum-type elastic metamaterials

In this paper, a space tether with pendulum-type elastic metamaterials is constructed as a scaled model considering initial tension of a tether cable. A similarity analysis is used to design the scaled model to ensure that it has similar dynamic characteristics as that of a real tether cable. The pendulum-type elastic metamaterials are used to produce a bandgap in the measurable frequency range. To investigate the bandgap of the metamaterials, a ground experiment that can excite the scaled model of the tether cable is proposed. The experiment results of the harmonic responses for the scaled model for external shocks indicate that the bandgap is attributed to beam resonance. The correlation between the natural frequency of the beam and the bandgap is provided, and the deformation shapes of the metamaterial in the bandgap are measured.