Solar sail attitude dynamics considering sail deformation

Abstract

The attitude motion of the spinning solar sail IKAROS was unique. Its behavior is highly dependent on the sail deformation, which is flexible and easily changed by the attitude motion itself. It is important, therefore, to understand the relation between the sail deformation and the attitude motion in order to obtain better knowledge of sail design and management. In this study, a consideration is made about how the sail deforms with the centrifugal force on it and its physical stiffness, and how it changes the attitude motion. As a result, the effects of each natural vibration mode of the sail on the attitude motion are formularized. The theory is evaluated using the flight-data of IKAROS and estimating its sail deformation. Show more