Did Space Lightning Hit the Tether?

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As Richard Hamming pointed out, "The less we know, the more we suppose"

As I understand this they were using the 'orbital dynamo' to create 
electricity by moving a conductor thru a magnetic field, as well as probing 
the local plasma,  They were also doing the Ben Franklin experiment.  Could 
a gust of solar wind have  increased the conductivity of the surrounding 
plasma and generated a large potential across the length of the tether that 
burned out the tether at one end and the computer at the other --- space 
lightning.  The same thing happens sometimes on earth when the solar wind 
causes aurora and power distribution systems crash.  The previous tether, 
SEDS-2 broke in two twice.  It seems unlikely that debris hit it twice, but 
maybe the solar wind burned it in two like a fuse.


SThompson@esiusa.com

Make two backups and keep the humor dry.

• Previous message: Larry Van Horn: "Introduction"