Solar sails could guide interplanetary travel, according to a new study

2023-04-21 11:49:15

A team of scientists led by Slava Turyshev of the California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has proposed to merge miniature satellite units with a solar-powered process that would create a fast, cheap, and lightweight mode of travel. Phys.Org reports: Solar navigation is a process by which the pressure generated by the sun’s radiation is harnessed for propulsion. Recent innovations in this technology were demonstrated in a successful 2019 crowdfunded mission conducted by the Planetary Society’s LightSail-2 project. the researchers explain: “Solar sails gain thrust by using lightweight, highly reflective materials that reflect sunlight to propel a spacecraft while in space. Continuous photon pressure from the sun provides thrust, eliminating the need for heavy thrusters.” and expendables employed by on-board chemical and electrical propulsion systems, which limit mission lifetimes and viewing locations.”

They say that sails are much less expensive than the heavy equipment currently used for propulsion, and that the ever-present continuous pressure of solar photons from the sun makes thrust available for a wide range of vehicular maneuvers, such as hovering or shifting. orbital plane rapids. Solar sails and miniaturization “have advanced in the past decade to the point where they can enable inspiring and affordable missions to reach farther, faster, deep into the outer regions of our solar system,” the report says.

The researchers refer to the fusion of these two technologies as the Sundiver Concept. “Fast, cost-effective, and maneuverable sailboats that can travel outside the plane of the ecliptic open up new opportunities for affordable exploration of the solar system,” the report states, “holding great promise for heliophysics, planetary science, and astrophysics.” With enhanced maneuverability, the spacecraft can easily deliver small payloads to multiple destinations if needed, and can dock with related modular ships. The reliance on the sun and the miniaturization of the aircraft carrier, which does not require a dedicated launch site, will prove to be significant cost savings, the researchers add: “A substantial reason for the high costs is our reliance on [actual] into slow and expensive chemicals.” propulsion, operating at the limits of its capabilities, making the current paradigm of solar system exploration untenable. A new approach is needed.”