Low Cost Solar Sailing

V. A. Yegorov, M. V. Pomazanov


Abstract: The principally moments of the realization of the low cost solar sail spacecraft mission are discussed. The solar sail spacecraft is designed as the unrotating flat reflecting film tight between the telescopic rods. The self-opening of the solar sail is produced by the special inflatable technology. The orientation of such spacecraft is changed by the moments appearing as an implication of controllable displacement of the solar sail spacecraft barycenter with respect to the solar pressure center. The evaluation shows, that the modern technology permits to reduce the mass of such solar sail to 15-30