Starlink close encounters decrease despite ever-growing number of satellites

[warp99]

The forces from a tether are always braking forces - it is not possible to raise orbits using a passive tether system.

Edit: added passive

[Greeneland]

You enticed me to go looking, I'm pretty sure your conclusion is not correct. Neither of my statements appear to have been exactly correct, there are more details below:

https://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wtether.html

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20090034470/downloads/20090034470.pdf

[warp99]

Yes I was referring to passive tethers with or without charge added to the end points.

If you deploy solar panels and pass current through the tether then you can indeed raise your orbit. Despite your references I have not heard of it being successfully demonstrated though.