H2-Reversal Trajectory: a New Mission Application for High-Performance Solar Sails

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to quantify the performance of a flat solar sail to perform a double angular momentum reversal manoeuver and produce a new class of two-dimensional non-Keplerian orbits. The problem is addressed in an optimal formulation and using a parametric approach. Two main difficulties must be properly taken into account. On one side the sail must perform a rapid reorientation maneuver when it approaches the Sun. It is shown by simulation that this assumption is reasonable. In second place the corresponding trajectories require high performance solar sails, that is, sails with a characteristic acceleration greater than 3mm=s2. Such a value, although well beyond the currently available sail performance, is comparable (or even lower) to that required by the original H-reversal maneuvers.