Global ETD Search
Search theses and dissertations gathered from participating repositories worldwide. Every result links back to the library that holds it. No account is needed.
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Showing 1 to 19 of 19 for “"solar sail"”.
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Design of a high performance solar sail system.
Thesis. 1979. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
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Design study of a solid-state heliogyro solar sail
Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1990.
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Counter-Intuitive Behavior in Locally Optimal Solar Sail Escape Trajectories
… escape trajectories using an idealized solar sail for propulsion are presented. Results obtained using a trajectory propagator that maximizes the instantaneous rate of increase in total orbital energy to achieve escape---an intuitive control strategy originally presumed to generate …
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Design, instrumentation, and control of a heliogyro solar sail ground test demonstrator
… Instrumentation, and Control of a Heliogyro Solar Sail Ground Test Demonstrator Thesis directed by Dr. Keith Williams The goal of this research is to establish a means for terrestrial testing and model verification for heliogyro solar sail technology. A simplified testbed was in place but …
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Investigation of Trajectory and Control Designs for a Solar Sail to the Moon
… investigates the technical feasibility of a solar sail-based spacecraft (sailcraft) as a low-cost method of delivering cargo or science instruments to the moon and demonstrates how this sailcraft could be controlled to change its orbit. The concept is a low-cost, commercial launch …
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A Comparison of PID and Sliding Mode Controllers When Applied to the Orbit Raising of a Satellite Using Solar Sail Propulsion
<p>Solar Sail spacecraft have become increasingly popular due to their ability to perform long term missions without the need for propellant. Because solar sail propulsion is so unique, most research has been focused on developing new mechanical control techniques. However, it can be argued that …
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Investigation Into the Mitigation of the Effects of Uncertain Optical Degradation on an Interplanetary Solar Sail Mission Using a Single Model Update
<p>The renewed academic interest in using solar sails as a source of spacecraft propulsion has been accompanied by a recent fervor of investigations into non-ideal and off-nominal sail performance considerations. One of the most influential considerations, uncertain optical degradation, has been …
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The Dynamics and Control of the Cubesail Mission---A Solar Sailing Demonstration
… two issues related to the slow emergence of solar sailing as a viable space propulsion method. The low technology readiness level and complications related to stowage, deployment, and support of the sail structure are both addressed by combining the CU Aerospace and University of …
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The dynamics and control of the CubeSail mission—A solar sailing demonstration
… two issues related to the slow emergence of solar sailing as a viable space propulsion method. The low technology readiness level and complications related to stowage, deployment, and support of the sail structure are both addressed by combining the CU Aerospace and University of …
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Atomic Oxygen Considerations for LEO De-orbit Trajectories Using Solar Sails
<p>Solar sails have the potential to benefit many future space exploration missions, but they lack the heritage required for present-day use. To grow confidence in solar sail technology, they could be deployed on LEO satellites higher than 600 km to help de-orbit the satellite within 25 years upon …
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Significance of Specific Force Models in Two Applications: Solar Sails to Sun-Earth L4/L5 and GRAIL Data Analysis Suggesting Lava Tubes and Buried Craters on the Moon
… However, non-gravitational forces, such as solar radiation pressure (SRP), can significantly influence the motion of a spacecraft. Incorporating SRP within the dynamical model can assist in estimating the trajectory of a spacecraft with greater precision, in particular, for a spacecraft with …
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Investigation of a more optimum trajectory than the logarithmic spiral in solar sailing
… trajectory is not the optimum trajectory for a solar sailing space vehicle. Investigation of the governing equations showed that the performance of the solar sail depends on one parameter "a". This parameter "a", defined simply as the ratio of radial to tangential forces, was seen to be …
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Stability of Beams, Plates and Membranes due to Subsonic Aerodynamic Flows and Solar Radiation Pressure
… membranes due to subsonic aerodynamic flows or solar radiation forces. Beams, plates and membranes are simple structures that may act as building blocks for more complex systems. In this dissertation we explore the stability of these simple structures so that one can predict instabilities in …
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Solar Sailing Adaptive Control Using Integral Concurrent Learning for Solar Flux Estimation
… dynamic modeling of a reflectivity-controlled solar sail spacecraft. A Lyapunov-based control law along with integral concurrent learning is suggested to accomplish and prove global exponential tracking of the estimated parameters and states of interest, without satisfying the common …
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On the dynamics, stability and control of displaced lunar orbits
Now more than a speculative technology, solar sailing offers new capabilities for the design of space missions. This new concept promises to be useful in overcoming the challenges of transportation throughout the solar system. By exploiting the momentum transported by solar photons, solar sails can …
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Small-Body and Heliophysics Missions using Hybrid Low-Thrust Propulsion
… the momentum of reflected photons of sunlight, solar sails offer a propellant-free alternative but are limited by attitude restrictions and their low thrust. Their improvement has also been inhibited by current knowledge of both materials science and structural engineering. In this dissertation, …
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Continuous Low-Thrust Trajectory Optimization: Techniques and Applications
… two theorems describing system symmetries for solar sail spacecraft and discuss symmetry properties and symmetry breaking for electric spacecraft systems models. We demonstrate how these symmetry properties can be used to significantly simplify the solution-finding process.
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Smart deployable space structures
… during their mission life, examples range from solar sail for propulsion over shields for protection to antennas and reflectors for communication and observation. By enabling a structure to deploy and change its shape to adapt to different mission stages, the flexibility of the spacecraft can be …