Solar Sail Propulsion

Author: Tianjiang Shuo Website: https://cislunarspace.cn

Definition

A propulsion method that generates continuous thrust through momentum exchange between solar photons and a large thin-film sail. It requires no propellant as all energy comes from sunlight, making it suitable for long-duration deep-space missions. Its key parameter is the light pressure factor β. The main limitation is underactuation: the sail normal vector has only two attitude angles (pitch and yaw), providing insufficient control degrees of freedom.

Application Value

This concept plays a key role in trajectory transfer design, helping evaluate transfer costs and flight time to provide quantitative basis for mission trade studies. Combined with global search algorithms, multiple solution families and Pareto frontiers can be identified to guide orbital design decisions.

References

  • 人工平动点附近混合推进航天器编队滑模控制保持
Improve this page
Last Updated:
Contributors: ouyangjiahong, Ou Yang Jiahong