The current‐voltage characteristics of a large probe in low Earth orbit: TSS‐1R results

Measurements of the current collected by the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) satellite as a function of voltage and ambient plasma parameters are presented. The satellite current is found to vary approximately with the square root of the potential from below 10 to nearly 1200 V. The collected current exceeded premission expectations, based on the Parker and Murphy [1967] collection model, by factors of two to three. Possible reasons for discrepancies between the measurements and model are briefly discussed