I recall that there was a partially-successful tether experiment conducted by a shuttle crew.
I can't recall the exact shuttle, or the crew, or
the year, but I do recall that a tether extended successfully to over
16 kilometers [10 miles] in length and then shortly thereafter
the tether snapped with an Italian experimental probe at the end;
and most of the tether and the attached probe were slung
into a higher [more elliptical] orbit.
Maybe Raoul could dig up the URL.
Jake
ANCIENT CHINESE PROVERB: " A crisis presents an opportunity."