NASA has been considering a solar sail that would accelerate a craft to a high velocity (∼14 AU/yr) by the time it reached 5 AU. Then the sail would be dropped and the craft would coast alone to deep space. We propose that the sail be retained longer. Then the density of the interplanetary medium could be determined by measuring the drag force on the huge sail using radiometric navigational dat...

Spacecraft kinematics, peak perihelion temperature and space environment effects during solar-radiation-pressure acceleration for a beryllium hollow-body interstellar solar sail inflated with hydrogen fill gas are investigated. We demonstrate that diffusion is alleviated by an on-board fill gas reserve and electrostatic pressure can be alleviated by increasing perihelion distance. For a 0.1 AU ...

For interstellar missions, directed energy is envisioned to drive wafer-scale spacecraft to relativistic speeds. Spacecraft propulsion is provided by a large array of phase-locked lasers, either in Earth orbit or stationed on the ground. The directed-energy beam is focused on the spacecraft, which includes a reflective sail that propels the craft by reflecting the beam. Fluctuations and asymmet...

The classic first-order thrust approximation for solar sails is analytically extended to include the effects of secondary reflections and generalized in a practical Finite Element Model (FEM) based routine. Examination and inclusion of secondary reflection forces are shown to grow increasingly non-trivial as the deformation becomes more extreme. The approach taken herein does not address the “b...

The decision tools for high speed craft HSC design have improved due to the increasing computer ability to treat more complex problems. Genetic algorithms and multi objective problems where the mathematical models used are complex and take computer time to evaluate and select the feasible designs are very common nowadays. Uncertainty also is very frequent in high speed vessel design variables a...

At the time that Melville wrote Moby Dick, the basic technology of whaling had remained essentially unchanged for centuries. Whaling ships plied their trade under sail, and the small boats that they lowered to pursue whales were also powered by wind, or by the brute strength of their crew’s arms at the oars. The killing of whales required men to bring their frail craft alongside the huge quarry...

Abstract For precursor solar sail activities a strategy for controlled deployment of large membranes was developed based on combination zig-zag folding and coiling triangular segments spanned between crossed booms. This required four autonomous units that were jettisoned after the is completed. In order to reduce complexity system an adaptation investigated. A baseline design mechanisms establi...

The electric solar wind sail (E-Sail) is a new propulsion method for interplanetary travel which was invented in 2006 and is currently under development. The E-Sail uses charged tethers to extract momentum from the solar wind particles to obtain propulsive thrust. According to current estimates, the E-Sail is 2-3 orders of magnitude better than traditional propulsion methods (chemical rockets a...