A magnetic sail is an advanced propellantless propulsion system that uses the interaction between the solar wind and an artificial magnetic field generated by the spacecraft, to produce a propulsive thrust in interplanetary space. The aim of this paper is to collect the available experimental data, and the simulation results, to develop a simplified mathematical model that describes the propulsive acceleration of a magnetic sail, in an analytical form, for mission analysis purposes. Such a mathematical model is then used for estimating the performance of a magnetic sail-based spacecraft in a two-dimensional, minimum time, deep space mission scenario. In particular, optimal and locally optimal steering laws are derived using an indirect approach. The obtained results are then applied to a mission analysis involving both an optimal Earth-Venus (circle-to-circle) interplanetary transfer, and a locally optimal Solar System escape trajectory. For example, assuming a characteristic acceleration of 1 mm/s(2), an optimal Earth-Venus transfer may be completed within about 380 days.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Optimal Control Laws for Heliocentric Transfers with a Magnetic Sail



    Publication date :

    2013-01-01



    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Classification :

    DDC:    621



    Optimal control laws for heliocentric transfers with a magnetic sail

    Quarta, Alessandro A. | Online Contents | 2013


    Heliocentric Solar Sail Orbit Transfers with Locally Optimal Control Laws

    Malcolm Macdonald / Colin McInnes / Bernd Dachwald | AIAA | 2007



    Analytical control laws of the heliocentric motion of the solar sail spacecraft

    Gorbunova, Irina / Starinova, Olga | American Institute of Physics | 2014