TangoMan wrote in message news:SfcBb.617057$9l5.135061@pd7tw2no...
What happens when you are below the tether and your orbital velocity is
slower than it should be and is thus less than the pull of gravity? Will
freefall not exist in the stations or gondolas below the tether's center of
mass?

Also, above the tether's c.o.m. would gravity be pulling you "upwards" away
from the Earth?

I hope I've gotten the fundamentals correct.

The net force on you is as you say. If you are attached to a tether you
feel like "up" is toward the center of mass of the tether. So if you
are above the tethers c.o.m then your "down" is a normal guys "up". You
should not say "gravity" is pulling you away from the Earth. It is that
the centrifugal force from your orbital speed (v^2/r) is more
(or less if below) than the gravitational force on you and the tether
is making up the difference. Since you can not push on a rope, if you
at the end of a tether it is going to be pulling on you and you will
feel like down is away from the tether.

-- Vince