Solar Sailing with invariant manifolds in the Earth-Sun system

Paper number

IAC-15,C1,2,6,x29320

Author

Dr. Ariadna Farrés, University of Barcelona, Spain

Coauthor

Prof. Angel Jorba, University of Barcelona, Spain

Year

2015

Abstract

Solar sailing is a spacecraft propulsion system, that uses large reflecting
surfaces to take advantage of the solar radiation pressure (SRP) to enable a
constant acceleration, and therefore a potentially unlimited thrust. The recent
successful deployment of a solar sail by IKAROS and NanoSail-D2 has finally
validated the concept of solar sailing.

Solar sails are extremely interesting for long interplanetary transfers, but
also offer many advantages on Libration Point missions. The extra effect of the
SRP allows us, by changing the sail orientation, to artificially displace the
classical Lagrangian equilibrium points, $L_{1,\dots,5}$, as well as the
Lyapunov, Halo and Lissajous orbits that appear around equilibria. Most of them
are linearly unstable and have stable and unstable invariant manifolds
associated to them. In this paper we want to explore the possibilities that
these invariant manifolds offer for navigating in a natural way around the
system.

We will use the Earth-Sun Restricted Three Body Problem (RTBP) as a model
and compute from different sail orientations and energy levels the stable
and unstable manifolds associated to the periodic and quasi-periodic orbits
in the system. We want to find natural trajectories that allow us to move,
in a controlled way, from the region close to $L_1$ to the one close to $L_2$
or even $L_{4}$ and $L_{5}$.

Abstract document

IAC-15,C1,2,6,x29320.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-15,C1,2,6,x29320.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.