Abstract
The spin axis direction of a spinning solar sail rotates around an equilibrium point near the Sun direction due to the influence of solar radiation pressure. This characteristic may lead to a complexity in the attitude control of the spacecraft. The objective of this research is to derive an optimal spin-rate control law for a spinning solar sail to maximize the solar radiation pressure acceleration in the tangential direction of its orbit. An analytical solution of a bang-bang control of the spin rate is derived using the calculus of variations, and its validity is verified with a numerical analysis. The control law determined in this study enables a spinning solar sail to accelerate continuously and explore the solar system.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2583-2596 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Advances in the Astronautical Sciences |
| Volume | 148 |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | 23rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, Spaceflight Mechanics 2013 - Kauai, HI, United States Duration: 10 Feb 2013 → 14 Feb 2013 |