Theoretical modelling and sensitivity analysis for triangular membrane wrinkling of solar sail under muti-field effects

Anomalous reflection of sunlight for solar sailing

Solar sail trajectory cost estimation with transfer learning

Solar sail momentum management with mass translation and reflectivity devices using predictive control

Geometric nonlinear deformation analysis for heterogeneous solar sail membrane with creases under solar radiation pressure

The study of the motion of spacecraft with a solar sail is related to the projects that have been actively developed recently for flights to the borders of the solar system and their use for maneuvering in the vicinity of libration points. When planning and im- plementing these projects, it is necessary to take into account the change in the properties of the sail surface during flight. In particular, as shown earlier, the electric charge induced on the surface of the sail leads to deformation of its surface. The present work is devoted to the study of the effect of deformation of the sail surface on its dynamics. For certainty, the movement along the Tsander trajectory of the flight from Earth’s orbit to Mars’ orbit is chosen. It is shown that even for small relative deformations of the sail surface, the trajectory deviation from the calculated one can exceed the radius of Mars. The results obtained make it possible to determine the optimal parameters of the transverse stiffeners of the solar sail for the realization of permissible relative deformations in the Earth’s orbit.

Finite-time fault-tolerant consensus control for multiple solar sail formation flying around heliocentric inclined elliptic displaced orbits

Abstract The efficacy of using a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) optical sensor for characterizing the dynamic deployment behaviors of a bistable composite tape spring is investigated in this paper. Ultra-thin composite shells such as tape springs are favorable as spacecraft structures due to enabling the precise deployment of flexible solar arrays, solar sails, reflectors, and antennas. These composite members can elastically transition from either the coiled or folded state to the deployed extended state while possessing superior stiffness to mass ratios, thermal properties, and stowed compactness when compared to their metal counterparts. Bistability can induce more controllable self-deployment while mitigating the need for mechanical restraints or motorized deployment. However, a need exists to monitor both the deployment dynamics and overall structural health of the deployed structure. Fiber optic sensors such as FBGs have the capability to sense pressure, temperature, and mechanical strain. Due to their relative thinness, low mass, and flexibility, an optical fiber may be integrated into these deployable composite structures without significantly interfering with stability, packaging, or deployability. This paper experimentally demonstrates that an FBG sensor embedded in a bistable composite tape springs is effective at strain sensing the deployment dynamics. The freely deploying motion from coiled and folded configurations under stowage are characterized by linking tape spring displacements from a motion capture system to the FBG strains. From the equal sense coiled configuration, a rapid decrease from the nominal relative strain 0.034% to –0.001% indicates imminent deployment. In opposite sense unfolding configurations, a correlation is built between FBG strain peaks and longitudinal curvature such that the propagating fold and full deployment are fully captured by the single strain sensor.

Graphene light propulsion: experimental investigation, modeling, and potential application for deorbiting in low earth orbit

Solar sail trajectory design in LEO via rational agent

Exploring the stability properties of Lyapunov periodic orbits in the eccentric variant of solar sail problem with oblate primary

• Optimal one-revolution planet-centered circular-to-circular solar-sail transfer • Steppingstone for optimal multi-revolution planet-centered solar-sail transfers • Performance depends on the illumination conditions of the orbital plane and the ratio of the sail’s characteristic acceleration to the local gravitational acceleration • Two distinct regimes identified that depend on the illumination conditions of the orbital plane • Dimensionless results valid for any solar sail around a planet orbiting a star The problem of how to optimally transfer between two planet-centered orbits using solar sails remains nearly unexplored. Most of the existing body of knowledge focuses on (blended) locally optimal control laws, often considers open-ended trajectories instead of orbital transfers, or tackles specific mission scenarios, leaving insight into the general transfer problem unexplored. In this work, we present the first step in the comprehensive study of optimal solar-sail transfers around planetary bodies by analyzing the simplest conceivable transfer, the planar circular-to-circular (C2C) transfer. The considered C2C transfer spans only one orbital revolution, which may constitute the future building block of more complex multi-revolution trajectories. The optimized control law maximizes the change in orbital radius within the C2C transfer, where the achieved radius change is used as the performance metric. The results show that the C2C performance (i.e., the ability of the solar sail to transfer) depends on the illumination conditions of the orbital plane and the ratio of the sail’s characteristic acceleration to the local gravitational acceleration. Maximum performance is achieved when the orbital plane is perpendicular to the Sun-planet line, where the transfer structure resembles that of a C2C transfer conducted with an ion drive. Furthermore, by using the ratio as the scaling parameter, the results presented in this paper allow to easily compute the C2C performance for a wide range of mission scenarios around any planetary body, providing a new tool for early mission design.

Integrated attitude-orbit control and control allocation of solar sails hovering an asteroid

Optimal solar system escape trajectories for gradient-index solar sails via saturation functions

Dynamics and control of geocentric displaced orbits for graphene-reinforced solar sails

Accurately characterizing the structural state of membrane reflector antennas (MRA) remains challenging due to the difficulty in determining stress distribution through geometric measurement alone. Although photogrammetry provides high-precision geometric data, it falls short of capturing mechanical pre-tension and is notably influenced by gravity, which limits its utility in guiding surface accuracy adjustments. This paper proposed an integrated approach combining photogrammetry with a nonlinear finite element method (NFEM) to achieve high-fidelity imaging and effective shape adjustment of electrostatically formed MRA, explicitly accounting for gravity effects during ground-based measurement and shape control. The proposed method establishes a mechanical model that incorporates real-world geometric data under gravity and performs force–shape matching to reconcile discrepancies between physical and simulation models. Experimental validation demonstrates that the gravity-corrected NFEM model closely aligns with the physical antenna, with a deviation in surface accuracy within 9.9%. Using this refined model, we successfully optimized electrode voltages and cable tensions, improving the surface accuracy of the physical model from an initial 0.7033 mm to 0.5723 mm. This work provides a reliable and efficient strategy for the shape control and adjustment of membrane space structures under gravity, with potential applications in large deployable antennas, solar sails, and other tension-controlled flexible systems.

Breakthrough Starshot is a project that envisions interstellar travel to the Alpha Centauri star system by accelerating Light sail interstellar probes named StarChip to 15−20% is a revolutionary idea. The concept of focusing a light beam from a phased array of ground-based lasers on the Light sails of these StarChips to accelerate them to 15−20% speed of light is unparalleled. However, this concept would still take between 20-30 years to complete the journey, and, moreover, traveling to more distant celestial bodies would still remain a constraint. This paper introduces an enhanced version of their concept, which can make interstellar travel more feasible. This new version is named the Enhanced Starshot Concept (ESC) and builds on the original idea by placing a constellation of laser-emission satellites in high Mars orbit and customizing the StarChip's design to have more Light sails. This customized StarChip is named Sailchip-X. The essence of this enhanced concept is to use space-based solar power to accumulate solar energy for these laser-emitting satellites so that the Light sail can have multiple boosts of acceleration, increasing its velocity cumulatively to 40−50% speed of light. The Enhanced Starshot Concept improves the original idea by allowing the Sailchip-X to travel at a significantly higher speed, making it more cost-effective and sustainable.

Large and fragile space structures such as telescopes and solar sails demand robotic manipulators that combine adaptability with safe interaction. Conventional rigid manipulators lack compliance, while existing continuum robots struggle with controllability and are limited to single‐curvature deformation. Here, a bioinspired tensegrity‐based continuum robot with programmable stiffness is introduced that achieves adaptive multicurvature morphing through intra‐ and intermodule stiffness distribution. A unified energy‐based framework establishes self‐equilibrium and predictive deformation of serial tensegrity modules, enabling systematic design and control. The approach is validated through computational modeling and physical experiments, demonstrating geometry‐specific adaptation to hexagonal, circular, elliptical, and polygonal profiles relevant to on‐orbit assembly. The designed six‐module BTCR prototype achieves at least twofold differences in segmental curvature and bending angle through stiffness distribution, with theoretical maximum values of 230° bending angle and 8 m − 1 curvature. Stiffness programming reduces reliance on continuous actuation while expanding accessible deformation modes, offering a lightweight and reconfigurable pathway for safe manipulation of fragile structures. This work advances continuum robotics by merging tensegrity mechanics with stiffness‐programmable design, with broad implications for space assembly, deployable systems, and adaptive manipulation in extreme environments.

The Space Weather Investigation Frontier mission aims to reveal whether local or global processes drive mesoscale heliospheric structures that can affect the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. To achieve this, a sailcraft, equipped with fields and plasma instrument suites, will be placed at at sun–Earth sub-Lagrange point L1 to monitor Earth-bound solar wind. One possible challenge with solar sails is spacecraft charging due to the large collection area of the sail relative to the sailcraft chassis, which can interrupt instrument operation, introduce noise to scientific measurements, or potentially damage subsystems. Using Nascap-2k, simulations were performed to investigate the interactions between solar sails and the solar wind over a range of solar wind conditions and the tilt angle between the sail and sun. The electric potential of the sailcraft with respect to the plasma and sheath structure surrounding the sailcraft were determined under the various solar wind conditions. It was found that the potential relative to the solar wind is smaller than 10 V under all ambient space conditions when the solar sails were electrically connected to the sailcraft bus. This meets the requirements not only to detect superthermal electrons and energetic ions but also to detect core electron and ion populations.

Passivity-based robust shape control of a cable-driven solar sail boom for the CABLESSail concept