Optimal control of solar sails

Like wind sails uses wind to propel sailing boats through water, solar sails use sunlight to propel spacecraft through space. Solar sail-propelled spacecraft can reach speeds that would be practically impossible for chemical rockets to achieve, and can be placed in orbits that would otherwise be unstable. But just like wind sails, solar sails require careful control.

Based on their idea submitted through the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP), a team from Inria aims to improve the control of solar sails, in particular during multi-revolution Earth escape or de-orbiting trajectories.