Journal
ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
Volume 48, Issue 11, Pages 1740-1746Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2011.02.022
Keywords
Spinning solar sail; Flexible structure; Fuel-free attitude control; Solar radiation pressure; Liquid crystal thin film device; Reflectivity control device
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This paper introduces a new attitude control system for a solar sail, which leverages solar radiation pressure. This novel system achieves completely fuel-free and oscillation-free attitude control of a flexible spinning solar sail. This system consists of thin-film-type devices that electrically control their optical parameters such as reflectivity to generate an imbalance in the solar radiation pressure applied to the edge of the sail. By using these devices, minute and continuous control torque can be applied to the sail to realize very stable and fuel-free attitude control of the large and flexible membrane. The control system was implemented as an optional attitude control system for small solar power sail demonstrator named IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun). In-orbit attitude control experiments were conducted, and the performance of the controller was successfully verified in comparison with the ground-based analytical performance estimation. (C) 2011 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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