Are solar sails the future of space exploration? -History -Principle -Theory -Design -Materials -Deployment -Packaging -Spinning Deployment -Mission and Trajectory -Electric Sail -Limitations

1. Pierre GAUTIER-LE BOULCH
Are Solar Sails the
future of space
exploration?

2. Introduction
o No need for fuel
o Spacecraft cheaper to send in space
o Continuous acceleration
We can imagine shuttles running on solar
energy between Mars and Earth.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

3. History
Galileo Maxwell
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

4. Principle
The solar sail is based on momentum exchange with solar flux reflected from a mirror.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

5. Theory
Einstein’s relation : 𝑝 = 𝐸/𝑐
At 1 AU, the solar radiation pressure can be
related to the irradiance value of 1368 W/m2,
We can expect a pressure of 9.12μN/m2 for a
perfect reflectance on a sail at 1 AU.
Figure 2: Maximum Solar Radiation Pressure in the solar system
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

6. Design
Materials: Deployment:
https://youtu.be/7Mb47w0vB04
Video 1: LightSail 2 Animation from
Packaging:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

7. Spinning deployment:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

8. Mission and Trajectory
Trips within the inner solar system
Change of orbits
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

9. The Best Engineering School in France
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

10. Electric Sail
https://youtu.be/8UpdnhOTlG4?t=34
Video 5: Electric Sail Principle
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

11. Limitations
Acceleration is not sufficient for orbital transfer into the outer solar system beyond Jupiter.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzi6kkfXqt8

12. The Best Engineering School in France
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