IKAROS太阳帆的关键技术分析与启示

分析了国外太阳帆的发展现状,重点论述了世界上首次成功飞行的太阳帆——太阳辐射驱动星际风筝航天器（IKAROS）的总体设计、材料设计、空间展开和姿态控制等关键技术,以及中国开展太阳帆和空间大型展开结构的总体设计、空间展开、姿态控制、空间环境适应性等关键技术,提出了系统开展以太阳帆为代表的大型轻质展开结构研制与应用的建议。     

Fast solar sail rendezvous mission to near Earth asteroids

The concept of fast solar sail rendezvous missions to near Earth asteroids is presented by considering the hyperbolic launch excess velocity as a design parameter. After introducing an initial constraint on the hyperbolic excess velocity, a time optimal control framework is derived and solved by using an indirect method. The coplanar circular orbit rendezvous scenario is investigated first to evaluate the variational trend of the transfer time with respect to different hyperbolic excess velocities and solar sail characteristic accelerations. The influence of the asteroid orbital inclination and eccentricity on the transfer time is studied in a parametric way. The optimal direction and magnitude of the hyperbolic excess velocity are identified via numerical simulations. The found results for coplanar circular scenarios are compared in terms of fuel consumption to the corresponding bi-impulsive transfer of the same flight time, but without using a solar sail. The fuel consumption tradeoff between the required hyperbolic excess velocity and the achievable flight time is discussed. The required total launch mass for a particular solar sail is derived in analytical form. A practical mission application is proposed to rendezvous with the asteroid 99942 Apophis by using a solar sail in combination with the provided hyperbolic excess velocity.     

条带式太阳帆航天器的热致结构动力学响应

本文研究条带式太阳帆在近地轨道运行进出地球阴影时的热致结构动力学响应，建立了在太阳热辐射和光压共同作用下的太阳帆结构动力学方程，采用分布传递函数法，给出了条带式太阳帆热致结构稳态振动幅频响应的计算方法。算例结果表明：热辐射冲击是引起近地轨道太阳帆结构动力学响应的主要原因，光压引起的结构响应可忽略不计；增加桅杆壁厚不能有效抑制太阳帆的热致结构动态响应；增大阻尼，减小结构的热膨胀系数能够明显减小太阳帆热致结构响应的振幅；热致结构动态响应是设计大尺寸近地轨道太阳帆必须解决的问题。本文提出的方法可为太阳帆结构设计、姿态和轨道控制提供有力的分析工具。     

电动帆轨迹优化及其性能分析

电动帆是一种新兴的无推进剂损耗的推进方式,利用太阳风的动能冲力飞行。电动帆由数百根长而细的金属链所组成,这些金属链通过空间飞行器自旋展开,太阳能电子枪向外喷射电子,使金属链始终保持在高度的正电位,这些带电的金属链会排斥太阳风质子,利用太阳风的动能冲力推动空间飞行器驶向目标方向。针对电动帆轨迹优化问题,提出采用Gauss伪谱法进行轨迹优化,克服了间接法对协态变量初值敏感的缺点。考虑在太阳风暴等原因造成特征加速度改变的情况,基于Gauss伪谱法实现电动帆在线轨迹重新规划,提高电动帆对太阳风不确定性的适应能力。最后以太阳系外探测任务为例,对电动帆和太阳帆的性能进行对比,仿真结果表明电动帆在星际远航任务中所用时间较短。     

Evolution of the Orbit of an Earth Satellite with a Solar Sail

The efficiency of using the light pressure of solar radiation for increasing the semimajor axis of the orbit of an Earth Satellite carrying a solar sail is estimated. The orbit is nearly circular and has an altitude of about 900 km. The satellite is in the mode of single-axis solar orientation: it rotates at an angular velocity of 1 deg/s around the axis of symmetry, which traces the direction to the Sun. This mode is maintained by the solar sail, which serves in this case as a solar stabilizer. The following method of increasing the semimajor axis of the orbit (which is equivalent to increasing the total energy of the satellite's orbital motion) is considered. On those sections of the orbit, where the angle between the light pressure force acting upon the sail and the vector of geocentric velocity of the satellite does not exceed a specified limit, the sail is functioning as a solar stabilizer. On those sections of the orbit, where the above-indicated angle exceeds this limit, the sail is furled by way of turning the edges of the petals towards the Sun. Such a control increases the semimajor axis by more than 150 km for three months of flight. In this case, the accuracy of solar orientation decreases insignificantly.     

太阳帆结构分析

太阳帆是人类向太空发射的一种宇宙探测器。本文推导建立了太阳帆结构分析的理论方程组；利用数值计算方法进行了全结构分析；采用罚函数法，确定了满足各种技术条件下的转速及辐条长度之间的可用范围；同时，在引入某些假设的前提下，得出了方程组的近似理论解。它们为太阳帆强度分析、结构形状保持能力提供了论理基础，也为太阳帆的设计提供了依据。本文最后提供了某实际发射的太阳帆结构的分析结果。本文的分析手段可作为大型柔性结构分析的参考     

The AURORA Project: Removal of plastic substrate to obtain an all-metal solar sail

The Orbital Angular Momentum Reversal (H-Reversal mode), is a new class of trajectories to get a cruise speed ranging from 12 to 20 AU/yr. To accomplish the H-reversal mode, a sailcraft needs of all metal solar sail. The solar sail envisaged by the “AURORA Project” is composed of two metallic layers (AI and Cr) deposited on plastic substrate. To obtain an all metal solar sail, required by the Project, the substrate must be removed in orbit. In order to accomplish that, two possible methods are described in this paper. The first one is based on the UV degradation of a buffer layer located between the substrate and the metallic layers. The UV degradation would be the starting mechanism that causes the interface weakness. The Diamond Like Carbon has been used as buffer layer and preliminary experimental results on its UV degradation are reported. The second method exploits the characteristic of most plastics to be etched (ashing process) by the atomic oxygen. The number density of atomic oxygen in Low Earth Orbit could be enough to remove a properly-selected plastic substrate in Short time.     

Single-Axis Solar Orientation of a Satellite of the Earth

The possibility of using the mode of single-axis solar orientation is considered for a satellite placed into a nearly circular orbit with an altitude of 900 km and bearing a solar sail. The satellite (together with the sail) has an axisymmetric structure, its symmetry axis being the principal central axis of the maximum moment of inertia. The center of the sail pressure lies on this axis and is displaced with respect to the satellite's center of mass. The symmetry axis of the satellite is set to the Sun so that its center of mass would be located between the Sun and the pressure center and would rotate around this axis with an angular velocity of a few degrees per second. The satellite's axis of symmetry makes a slow precession under the action of the gravitational moment and the moment of light pressure forces. Though the maximum magnitudes of these moments are comparable, the moment of the light pressure forces dominates and controls the precession in such a way that the symmetry axis orientation to the Sun remains unchanged.     

太阳帆日心定点悬浮转移轨道设计

研究了太阳帆航天器日心定点悬浮轨道(HFDO)的转移轨道设计问题,以球坐标形式建立了太阳帆的动力学模型,基于该模型给出在日心悬浮轨道基础上实现定点悬浮的条件,提出了一种实现日心定点悬浮的转移轨道设计方法。首先,确定定点悬浮的位置;然后,设计经过该位置的绕日极轨轨道;最后,实施轨道减速实现定点悬浮,并给出了解析形式的轨道控制律。结合太阳极地观测任务,设计了定点悬浮在太阳北极1AU处的太阳帆转移轨道。仿真结果表明:该轨道转移方案总耗时3.5年,太阳帆定点到黄北极距日心1AU处,此后只要保持太阳光垂直照射帆面,即可维持稳定的悬浮状态。     

Station keeping of a solar sail around a Halo orbit

Solar sails are a concept of spacecraft propulsion that takes advantage of solar radiation pressure to propel a spacecraft. Although the thrust provided by a solar sail is small it is constant and unlimited. This offers the chance to deal with novel mission concept. In this work we want to discuss the controllability of a spacecraft around a Halo orbit by means of a solar sail. We will describe the natural dynamics for a solar sail around a Halo orbit. By natural dynamics we mean the behaviour of the trajectory of a solar sail when no control on the sail orientation is applied. We will then discuss how a sequence of changes on the sail orientation will affects the sail's trajectory, and we will use this information to derive efficient station keeping strategies. Finally we will check the robustness of these strategies including different sources of errors in our simulations.     

Can solar sails be used to test fundamental physics?

The relative importance of certain general relativistic effects is enhanced by solar radiation pressure (SRP). The observation and study of the trajectories of a solar sail could potentially provide tests of various effects of general relativity. In particular, we study Keplerian and non-Keplerian orbits near the sun as well as escape trajectories for a solar sail, for which general relativistic effects and the solar radiation pressure are considered simultaneously. In contrast with the conventional solar mission, a solar sail allows for non-Keplerian orbits, for which the orbital plane lies above the sun. It is predicted that there is an analog of the Lense–Thirring effect for non-Keplerian orbits. Also the SRP increases the amount of precession per orbit due to the Lense–Thirring effect for polar heliocentric orbits. A solar sail would also enhance the relative importance of effects associated with a possible net charge on the sun and during many rotations this effect may be measurable.     

Solar sail formation flying on an inclined Earth orbit

The versatility of solar sail propulsion can be utilized in the exploration of Earth’s magnetotail. An inclined periodic orbit with respect to ecliptic is possible for a solar sail with its orbital plane in synchronous rotation with the sun. Solar sail evolving on such an inclined orbit is free of Earth shadow. Formation flying of a cluster of sails around such an inclined periodic orbit is investigated in this paper. The solution of the first-order approximation to the linear relative motion is used to qualitatively analyze the configurations of relative orbits. Since the relative motion is unstable, active control is necessary to keep a periodic relative motion. A typical LQR method is employed to stabilize the relative motion. The design method is validated by numerical examples.     

太阳帆绕地球周期轨道研究

  地球同步和太阳同步卫星在各个领域有着广泛的应用。静止轨道是一种特殊的地球同步轨道,轨道资源有限。利用化学推进或电推进可以实现轨道高度不同的同步轨道,如悬挂轨道,但需要消耗较多的燃料,工程上无法承受。本文考虑利用太阳帆实现地球同步和太阳同步轨道。太阳光压力在轨道平面内沿拱线方向,选择光压力与平面的夹角使得轨道平面的旋转速率与太阳光同步。研究表明,设计合适的半长轴和偏心率可以使得轨道旋转速率与地球自转速率一致。假设太阳光与赤道平面平行,可以得到准静止轨道,太阳帆将在传统静止轨道的附近运动,星下点的经度将在一个固定值附近振动。实际上太阳光是与黄道面平行,黄道面与赤道面之间存在夹角。考虑黄赤交角的情况下,太阳帆将在一定纬度和经度范围内运动。适合于对某个区域进行长期观测任务。     

NanoSail-D: A solar sail demonstration mission

In the early to mid-2000s, NASA made substantial progress in the development of solar sail propulsion systems. Solar sail propulsion uses the solar radiation pressure exerted by the momentum transfer of reflected photons to generate a net force on a spacecraft. To date, solar sail propulsion systems were designed for large robotic spacecraft. Recently, however, NASA has been investigating the application of solar sails for small satellite propulsion. The NanoSail-D is a subscale solar sail system designed for possible small spacecraft applications. The NanoSail-D mission flew on board the ill-fated Falcon Rocket launched August 2, 2008, and due to the failure of that rocket, never achieved orbit. The NanoSail-D flight spare is ready for flight and a suitable launch arrangement is being actively pursued. This paper will present an introduction solar sail propulsion systems and an overview of the NanoSail-D spacecraft.     

Scouting the spectrum for interstellar travellers

Advanced civilizations capable of interstellar travel, if they exist, are likely to have advanced propulsion methods. Spaceships moving at high speeds would leave a particular signature which could be detected from Earth. We propose a search based on the properties of light reflecting from objects travelling at relativistic speeds. Based on the same principles, we also propose a simple interstellar beacon with a solar sail.     

利用太阳帆定点探测器在地一月系共线平动点附近的探讨

共线平动点附近的运动仅仅是条件稳定的,探测器的轨道需要经过控制才能维持在其附近.以地-月系11点和12点附近大振幅晕轨道的控制为例,探讨了太阳帆在定点这类探测器中的应用.首先,考虑了月球轨道的偏心率和太阳辐射的影响,给出了太阳帆对日定向的探测器轨道的低阶分析解,并在此基础上构造了在太阳系真实引力模型下一段时间内维持在共线平动点附近的拟周期轨道.然后,给出了两种利用太阳帆的控制方案,一是固定面质比而改变太阳帆法线的方向,另一是固定太阳帆对日定向而改变面质比,并对两种方案分别作了数值模拟.最后,文章探讨了测控误差及地、月影对轨道控制的影响.     

太阳帆航天器姿态控制技术综述

太阳帆作为一种无工质消耗的新型航天器推进技术,逐渐受到国内外航天界的广泛关注。文章首先综述了太阳帆航天器控制技术的发展现状,重点分析了太阳帆航天器姿态控制技术的特点和难点;其次,按照执行机构的不同,分别介绍了近年来国内外航天领域提出的多种太阳帆航天器姿态控制方案,针对各个方案的优缺点加以分析;最后,对该领域未来的发展前景进行了展望。     

European Sail Tower SPS concept

Based on a DLR-study in 1998/99 on behalf of ESA/ESTEC called “System Concepts, Architectures and Technologies for Space Exploration and Utilization (SE&U)” a new design for an Earth-orbiting Solar Power Satellite (SPS) has been developed. The design is called “European Sail Tower SPS” and consists mainly of deployable sail-like structures derived from the ongoing DLR/ESA solar sail technology development activity. Such a SPS satellite features an extremely light-weight and large tower-like orbital system and could supply Europe with significant amounts of electrical power generated by photovoltaic cells and subsequently transmitted to Earth via microwaves. In order to build up the sail tower, 60 units - each consisting of a pair of square-shaped sails - are moved from LEO to GEO with electric propulsion and successively assembled in GEO robotically on a central strut. Each single sail has dimensions of 150m × 150 m and is automatically deployed, using four diagonal light-weight carbon fiber (CFRP) booms which are initially rolled up on a central hub. The electric thrusters for the transport to GEO could also be used for orbit and attitude control of the assembled tower which has a total length of about 15 km and would be mainly gravity gradient stabilized. Employing thin film solar cell technology, each sail is used as a solar array and produces an electric power in orbit of about 3.7 MW_e. A microwave antenna with a diameter of 1 km transmits the power to a 10 km rectenna on the ground. The total mass of this 450 MW SPS is about 2100 tons. First estimates indicate that the costs for one kWh delivered in this way could compete with present day energy costs, if launch costs would decrease by two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, mass production and large numbers of installed SPS systems must be assumed in order to lower significantly the production costs and to reduce the influence of the expensive technology development. The paper presents the technical concept and an economic assessment as well as results of a recent solar sail deployment ground demonstration at DLR's facilities in Cologne.     

太阳帆航天器研究及其关键技术综述

综述了国内外关于太阳帆航天器的研究成果。介绍了太阳帆航天器的构型与材料、姿态控制、轨道控制及任务分析、试验验证及动力学仿真分析等的研究进展,讨论了太阳帆航天器轻质高强度帆体、折叠储存与展开控制、结构设计、姿态控制、地面试验及在轨演示验证,以及测试与诊断等关键技术,分析了未来太阳帆航天器的发展趋势。     

一种冷热交变环境下太阳帆应力保持方法

针对冷热交变环境导致太阳帆内部应力剧烈变化的问题,基于形状记忆合金(SMA)弹簧提出了太阳帆的张拉方案和薄膜应力保持恒定的方法,该方法利用形状记忆合金在高低温下的刚度非线性特性,有效补偿薄膜和支撑杆之间的间隙变化,以使薄膜内部应力基本保持恒定。针对六边形构型太阳帆开展了数值仿真,首先建立了太阳帆的热分析模型和力学分析模型,获取了高低温工况下的温度场。然后通过热致变形分析得到薄膜与支撑杆在高低温工况下的间隙变化,据此确定形状记忆合金弹簧的参数。最后对太阳帆在高低温工况下的薄膜内部应力进行了验证。