Solar Sail Augmented Hohmann Transfer

Abstract

The aim of this Correspondence is to analyze the performance of a solar sail-based spacecraft in a two-impulse orbit transfer between circular and coplanar heliocentric orbits of assigned radii. In particular, assuming a transfer trajectory with a sweep angle and a flight time equal to those of a classical Hohmann orbit, the sail propulsive acceleration is used to minimize the total velocity variation required by the two tangential impulses. In this sense the work quantifies the optimal performance of a solar sail augmented Hohmann transfer as a function of the sail characteristics.