Solar Sailing: Technology, Dynamics and Mission ApplicationsSpringer London, 1999 M04 15 - 296 pages Solar sailing offers the possibility of low-cost long-distance missions, impossible for any other type of conventional spacecraft. The book provides a detailed account of solar sailing, at a high technical level but in a way accessible to the scientifically informed layman. Solar sail orbital dynamics and solar radiation pressure form the foundations of the book, but the engineering design of solar sails is also considered, along with potential mission applications. This book introduces the subject and at the same time provides a technical reference source. |
Contents
Solar radiation pressure | 32 |
Solar sail force model | 55 |
34 | 88 |
Copyright | |
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aphelion blade characteristic acceleration circular orbit clock angle comet Halley component cone angle cos² defined deployment displaced displacement distance distance eccentricity ecliptic plane energy equation of motion equilibrium solutions family of orbits Firstly force vector frame of reference function Geostorm gravitational lens heliogyro interplanetary interstellar Kapton Keplerian orbit Lagrange point laser lens light sail locally optimal logarithmic spiral manoeuvres maximise Mercury mission applications obtained Orbit number orbit period orbit plane orbit radius out-of-plane payload mass photons planetary polar orbit propulsion radiation pressure acceleration radiation pressure force required solar sail sail area sail film sail lightness number sail normal sail pitch angle seen semi-major axis shown in Fig solar gravitational solar radiation pressure solar sail acceleration solar sail lightness solar sail orbit solar system spacecraft spars specific impulse speed square solar sail steering law Sun-centred non-Keplerian orbits Sun-line surface torque transfer variational equation