Multi-Hitchhiking Strategies Using Advanced Tether Materials for Enhanced Deep Space Exploration

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of tether-assisted hitchhiking, an innovative propellantless technique that leverages momentum exchange through deployable tethers for asteroid and comet missions. Seven advanced materials are analyzed using the Space Hitchhike Equation framework, with multi-hop degradation modeling across radiation, thermal cycling, and micrometeoroid impacts. Results show that CNT150 provides 10.4 km/s ΔV capability, while Zylon offers near-term mission readiness at 1.9 km/s. Mission scenarios from Near-Earth Object tours (2 km/s) to Kuiper Belt exploration (10 km/s) validate scalability, demonstrating mass efficiency improvements over chemical propulsion.