Ideal solar sails are perfectly flat, rigid, and reflective, can hold arbitrary sun angles perfectly, etc. Real sails are very different. Yet much preliminary mission analysis is done with ideal sails, on the assumption that the only important effect of non-ideal behavior is slightly reduced performance. This assumption is often false. Real sails simply cannot fly some mission plans that look plausible for ideal sails, and in other cases, realistic mission design and realistic sailcraft design much consider some aspects of non-ideal sail behavior from the start.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Real Solar Sails are Not Ideal, and Yes It Matters


    Additional title:

    Springer Praxis Books (formerly: Springer-Praxis Series)


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2014-02-04


    Size :

    20 pages




    Type of media :

    Article/Chapter (Book)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




    From Solar Sails to Laser Sails

    Johnson, Les / Montgomery, Edward E. | NTRS | 2017


    Solar Sails

    Johnson, Les | NTRS | 2018


    Solar Sails

    L. Johnson | NTIS | 2018


    Solar Sails

    Young, Roy | NTRS | 2006


    Solar Sails

    Johnson, Les | NTRS | 2016