This paper examines recent assessments of the technology challenges facing solar sails, identifies the systems and technologies needing development, and the approach employed by NASA's In-space Propulsion Program in NASA to achieve near term products that move this important technology from low technology readiness level (TRL) toward the goal of application to science missions in near earth space and beyond. The status of on-going efforts to design, build, and test ground demonstrators of alternate approaches to structures (inflatable versus rigid), membrane materials, optical shape sensing, and attitude control will be presented along with planned future investments.
The Development of Solar Sail Propulsion for NASA Science Missions to the Inner Solar System
45th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/ASH/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference
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2004
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Palm Springs, CA, United States
5th AIAA Gossamer Spacecraft Forums
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2004
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Palm Springs, CA, United States
2004-03-19
Preprint
No indication
English