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    • Possibilities opened by Electric Solar Wind Sail technology

    Paper number

    IAC-12,D4,1,4,x15332

    Author

    Dr. Pekka Janhunen, Finnish Meteorological Institute, FMI, Finland

    Coauthor

    Ms. Sini Merikallio, Finnish Meteorological Institute, FMI, Finland

    Coauthor

    Dr. Petri Toivanen, Finnish Meteorological Institute, FMI, Finland

    Coauthor

    Dr. Jouni Envall, Finnish Meteorological Institute, FMI, Finland

    Coauthor

    Mr. Jouni Polkko, Finnish Meteorological Institute, FMI, Finland

    Year

    2012

    Abstract
    The Electric Solar Wind Sail (E-sail) is a new propulsion technology which was invented in 2006 and which is developed by an international collaboration. First flight experiments will be performed onboard Estonian and Finnish CubeSats in 2013 – 2014, and our aim is to fly a solar wind test mission in 2015-2016. Once developed it will reduce travel times and launch costs to solar system targets and enable qualitatively new types of non-Keplerian orbit missions.

The E-sail taps the momentum flux of the natural solar wind for spacecraft propulsion with the help of long, charged tethers. The system produces a thrust vector which points away from the Sun, but which can be turned at will within an approximately 30 deg cone and whose magnitude can be easily adjusted. According to estimations, a 100 – 200 kg E-sail propulsion unit produces 1 N of thrust at 1 AU and the thrust scales $1/r$.

Possible applications of the Electric Solar Wind Sail include:
\begin{itemize}
\item Multi-asteroid touring. 
\item Kuiper and other distant body fly-bys or impactors.
\item Giant planet atmospheric probes.
\item Two year sample return mission from Mercury.
\item Two years to Saturn.
\item Remote sensing of Earth, Sun and planets from engineered non-Keplerian orbits.
\item Plasma brake for de-orbiting small satellites.
\end{itemize}
\vspace{\baselineskip} 


With these applications, the Electric Solar Wind Sail has the potential to qualitatively change space exploration and to unlock the scientific and economical treasures of the solar system.
\vspace{\baselineskip} 


Reference: Janhunen, P. et. al. Electric solar wind sail: Towards test missions (Invited article), Rev. Sci. Instrum., 81, 111301, 2010
    Abstract document

    IAC-12,D4,1,4,x15332.brief.pdf

    Manuscript document

    IAC-12,D4,1,4,x15332.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

    To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.