Dynamics of large membrane for solar sail-craft

Abstract

This paper discusses dynamics of large membrane for achieving spinning solar sail-craft proposed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). For comprehending the dynamics, firstly, two types of grand-scale experiments were conducted. One was an ice rink experiment. The other was a balloon experiment. In the both experiments, we succeeded in deploying 10m and 20m diameter membrane and observing the motion. Secondly, we constructed a numerical model using a multi-particle method, and numerical simulations were conducted. We drew a comparison between results of experiments and numerical simulations. The effectively of the multi-particle model was then indicated in this paper. Show more