Solar Sailing

Trajectory Design | Attitude Control

Recent developments in solar sail technology as an in-space propulsion system have expanded mission scenarios for scientific exploration. The concept of solar sailing provides a unique opportunity to harness the solar radiation pressure (SRP) and leverage the dynamics to maneuver a sail-based spacecraft. Current investigation includes exploring Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout trajectory options and  control strategies to perform a flyby or rendezvous with an asteroid.

NEA Scout rendezvous trajectory with asteroid 2013 RZ53.
Solar sail trajectory with direct insertion about L5 Lagrange point (note: Sun-Earth ephemeris rotating frame).
Solar sail trajectory with direct insertion about L5 Lagrange point (note: Sun-Earth ephemeris rotating frame).
Flyby tour of three asteroids. Phase 1: flyby of 1991 VG.
Flyby tour of three asteroids. Phase 2: flyby of 2013 RZ53.
Flyby tour of three asteroids. Phase 3: flyby of 2008 EA9.
Didymos system: L4 Quasi-periodic orbit with solar sail dynamics in Elliptical-R3BP. Courtesy: Dr. Davide Guzzetti
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Image Credit
​Background: NASA

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