Solar sail-based V-infinity leveraging missions from elliptic orbit

Abstract

The utilization of V∞ leveraging maneuvers in deep space missions is able to mitigate the mission requirements on launch energy, as the spacecraft propulsive acceleration is used to increase the hyperbolic excess velocity at the starting planet. Usually, such a maneuver is studied in the context of multiple impulsive velocity changes, whereas a few works deal with the use of continuous-thrust propulsion systems. This Short Communication analyzes two-dimensional V∞ leveraging maneuvers of a solar sail-based spacecraft, starting from an elliptic heliocentric orbit. As such, this work completes the model discussed in the recent literature where a circular parking orbit was assumed. The proposed approach allows the designer to obtain an accurate, parametric, analysis of the mission performance in an optimal framework using a classical two-body gravitational model. Assuming a state-of-the-art technology for solar sails, the numerical simulations analyze the performance of those fascinating propellantless propulsion systems in both an Earth- and a Mars-based mission scenario.