The Solar Sail: Principles of Construction. Control and the Flyby Mission to Asteroids

V. A. Yegorov, М. В. Помазанов


Abstract: The results of calculation of the minimal transfer times for flyby mission to the asteroids by solar sail spacecraft is presented. The basic principles of solar sail constructing are suggested. It is supposed that the sail is stabilized by rigid of skeleton. It can be auto-disclose on the orbit. The mass of this sail is estimated. There are two types of control realization for this sail. Both types can be described by simple mathematical model presented here. This model takes into account some restrictions on the sail orientation. These restrictions are connected with the sail inertia.