How much energy is used to deploy the tethered object?
I wonder is it really less than the amount of energy needed to achieve the same change(s) in orbital velocity?
Why not just use a spring loaded system to separate the 2 objects? With one going higher (and faster) while the other goes lower (and slower).
Does the tether serve some addional purpose such as power generation or does it provide a more accurate distance at seperation thus enabling a more controlled re-entry?