Abstract The efficiency of using the light pressure of solar radiation for increasing the semimajor axis of the orbit of an Earth Satellite carrying a solar sail is estimated. The orbit is nearly circular and has an altitude of about 900 km. The satellite is in the mode of single-axis solar orientation: it rotates at an angular velocity of 1 deg/s around the axis of symmetry, which traces the direction to the Sun. This mode is maintained by the solar sail, which serves in this case as a solar stabilizer. The following method of increasing the semimajor axis of the orbit (which is equivalent to increasing the total energy of the satellite's orbital motion) is considered. On those sections of the orbit, where the angle between the light pressure force acting upon the sail and the vector of geocentric velocity of the satellite does not exceed a specified limit, the sail is functioning as a solar stabilizer. On those sections of the orbit, where the above-indicated angle exceeds this limit, the sail is furled by way of turning the edges of the petals towards the Sun. Such a control increases the semimajor axis by more than 150 km for three months of flight. In this case, the accuracy of solar orientation decreases insignificantly.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Evolution of the Orbit of an Earth Satellite with a Solar Sail


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2004




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English



    Classification :

    BKL:    55.60 Raumfahrttechnik / 39.00 Astronomie: Allgemeines / 50.93 Weltraumforschung
    Local classification TIB:    770/3520/8000



    Evolution of the Orbit of an Earth Satellite with a Solar Sail

    Likhachev, V. N. / Sazonov, V. V. / Ul'yashin, A. I. | Springer Verlag | 2004


    Near-Optimal Solar-Sail Orbit-Raising from Low Earth Orbit

    Giovanni Mengali / Alessandro Quarta | AIAA | 2005


    Solar sail formation flying on an inclined Earth orbit

    Gong, Shengping | Online Contents | 2011


    Reachability of a Passive Solar Sail in Earth Orbit

    Pellegrino, Marielle / Scheeres, Daniel J. | AIAA | 2020


    Solar sail formation flying on an inclined Earth orbit

    Gong, Shengping / Yunfeng, Gao / Li, Junfeng | Elsevier | 2010