In the realm of advanced space propulsion, a team of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, led by Soojeong Lee, has been exploring innovative ways to control and manage solar sails. Their work focuses on a concept called CABLESSail, which aims to improve the maneuverability and efficiency of solar sails, a promising technology for future space exploration.
Solar sails harness the power of solar radiation pressure to propel spacecraft, offering a fuel-free and potentially limitless means of propulsion. However, controlling the shape and orientation of these sails to manage momentum and navigate through space has been a significant challenge. The CABLESSail concept addresses this issue by using actuated cables routed along the structural booms of the solar sail. These cables can adjust the shape of the sail, altering the solar radiation pressure disturbance torques acting on it.
The researchers conducted small-scale prototype tests to demonstrate the effectiveness of cable actuation on deployable booms. These tests showed that the cables could indeed control the shape of the solar sail, which is a crucial step in managing the sail’s momentum. In addition to the physical tests, the team developed a novel control allocation method. This algorithm provides a computationally-efficient way to determine the deformations required in each of the structural booms to impart the desired momentum management torque on the solar sail.
The control allocation method was tested through numerical simulations, which demonstrated its robustness to uncertainty in the shape of the sail membrane. This means that the algorithm can reliably generate the necessary momentum management torques even when the exact shape of the sail is not perfectly known. The performance of the CABLESSail concept, as demonstrated through both prototype tests and simulations, meets or exceeds the capabilities of current state-of-the-art solar sail actuators.
The research, titled “Deployable Prototype Testing and Control Allocation of the CABLESSail Concept for Solar Sail Shape Control and Momentum Management,” was published in the Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics. The work represents significant progress in raising the technology readiness level of the CABLESSail concept, bringing us one step closer to more advanced and controllable solar sail technologies for future space missions.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.