Artificial Three-Body Equilibria for Hybrid Low Thrust Propulsion
- Paper number
IAC-08.C1.3.1
- Author
Mr. Shahid Baig, University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Prof. Colin R. McInnes, University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
- Year
2008
- Abstract
This paper proposes a new concept of creating artificial equilibrium points in the circular restricted three body problem, where the third body is a hybrid of solar sail and solar electric propulsion spacecraft. The work aims to investigate the hybrid sail for artificial equilibrium points that are technologically difficult with either of these propulsion systems alone. The hybrid sail has freedom in specifying the sail lightness number, then minimizing the required thrust acceleration from the solar electric propulsion thruster while satisfying the equilibrium condition. The stability analysis of such artificial equilibrium points by a linear method results in a linear time varying (mass) system. The freezing time method then provides unstable and marginally stable regions for hybrid solar sail artificial equilibria. We compare these propulsion systems with a given payload mass and mission life for a polar observation mission (about unstable artificial equilibrium points). For a near term sail assembly loading same as for Geostorm mission (i.e., 14.1 g/m2) we find for the hybrid sail a substantially lower propellant mass compared to solar electric propulsion and lower sail length with respect to a solar sail, and a lower initial spacecraft mass. Furthermore, we describe an optimal controller to show that the equilibria for the hybrid sail can be made stable by using the solar electric propulsion thruster gimbal angles as control parameters, while keeping the large sail in a fixed attitude.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.C1.3.1.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.