Abstract
The exact form of the solar radiation pressure on a heliocentric orbiting solar sail is obtained for a finite angular sized solar disk by the use of a specific intensity calculation. It is found that the usual inverse square variation of the solar radiation pressure is modified by this finite angular size. The actual magnitude of the modification is in itself small, except at close heliocentric distances. However, its existence has implications for the dynamical stability of solar sails both in parked and circular orbital configurations and for the accuracy of trajectory calculations, particularly for sails in the inner solar system.
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