See: Prototype Deployment
See: Prototype Testing
LABORATORY WORK
In the world of R&D, “hardware trumps all.” The goal is to develop prototype and demonstrate Pico Solar Sails. The area of the prototypes is constrained by the hatch openings on the space station – about one square meter. Hand assembly of prototype pico solar sails is a small project, but it requires significant analysis and engineering.
PLANNING FOR FUTURE MASS PRODUCTION
Operational pico solar sails for L1 can be manufactured by photolithography of integrated circuits (note: small feature size is not a requirement). Mass production of trillions of thin-film pico solar sails (with microprocessors, PV arrays, LC panels, etc.) may require a dedicated photolithography fab. Pico solar sails will be not be folded for launch, but rather stacked in payloads for mass deployment in space.
PROJECT PLANNING
- Pico Solar Sail Specifications
- Dynamic Modelling
- Orbital Mechanics
- Thin-Film Electronics
- Rad-Hard μCPU
- Software Development
- Space Rating
- ISS Flight Testing
- Mass Production Plan
- Pico Sail Mass Launch
PERFORMANCE MODELLING
- Refractots vs Mirrors at L1 – hybrid design?
- Mass / Area vs Acceleration
- Atitude Control vs Sun Angle
- L1 Density and Optimum L1 Orbits
- Oculting & Collision Avoidance
- Global Cooling & Global Reheating
- MTBF, Solar Flares, CME, Dust Impacts
SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS
- Sun Seeking, Sequential Mirror Control
- Spin Rate - Attitude Control - Tumbling Recovery
- Autonomous Robotic Navigation
- MEO to L1 Transit and L1 Station-Keeping
MATERIALS & COMPONENTS
Pico Sails must maintain weight less than 40 g/m2. Materials and components are critical to performance.
- Substrate Selection: Kapton - Mylar - Graphene
- Solar Cells – Thin-Film PV Panels
- Micromirror Arrays - LC Panels - e-ink
- Rad-Hard Microprocessor & Memory
- Sensors
- MEMS Sun Position Sensor
- MEMS Accelerometers, MEMS Gyro
- Radio Receiver & Antenna
- Metasurface Retroreflector for Tracking
See: Prototype Deployment
See: Prototype Testing