Solar sails have the potential to provide mass and cost savings for spacecraft traveling within the inner solar system. Companies like L'Garde have demonstrated sail manufacturability and various in-space deployment methods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a current Mars sample return architecture and to determine how cost and mass would be reduced by incorporating a solar sail propulsion system. The team validated the design proposed by L'Garde, and scaled the design based on a trajectory analysis. Using the solar sail design reduced the required mass, eliminating one of the three launches required in the original architecture.


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    Title :

    Reduction of Martian Sample Return Mission Launch Mass with Solar Sail Propulsion


    Contributors:
    T. E. Russell (author) / A. Heaton (author) / J. Miernik (author) / S. Thomas (author) / D. Thomas (author)

    Publication date :

    2013


    Size :

    22 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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