A number of techniques are investigated that allow the possibility of near-ecliptic exploration beyond the Sun's heliopause (200 AU) using contemporary solar-sail spacecraft (with areal mass thickness about 0.0082 kg/m(sup 2)). Maximum mission duration to the heliopause was defined as one human working lifetime; missions to the Sun's gravity focus at 550 AU from the sun must take less time than one human lifetime. Options include unfurling the sail at the 0.2-AU perihelion of a parabolic solar orbit, unfurling the sail at the 0.2-AU perihelion of a 2.5-AU aphelion solar orbit, and performing a grazing gravity-assist flyby of Jupiter. Although these techniques are capable of performing the defined mission, higher-technology sails are faster.
Near-Term Interstellar Sailing
2005
12 pages
Report
No indication
English
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