Setting Sail for the Sun the NEA Scout & Solar Cruiser Missions
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20190033998 2020-03-11T16:17:58+00:00Z Setting Sail for the Sun The NEA Scout & Solar Cruiser Missions:
Les Johnson (NASA MSFC)
NASA Image A Bit About Me: The Long and Winding Road
Technology Push: Managed In- Space Transportation Investment Area/Advanced Space Transportation Program (1999–2001)
2 We tend to think of space as being
big and empty…
NASA Image Space Is NOT Empty. We can use the environments of space to our advantage
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NASA Image Solar Sails Derive Propulsion By Reflecting Light (Photons)
Solar sails use photon “pressure” or force on thin, Ideal Case lightweight, reflective sheets to produce thrust. Incident - Photons Thrust Vector
------\ -- I , , ----- ,, : I , I I I I Sun ,,' 1 1 I I I I Angle,, : : I I ,, I I I I , I I I I ,, I I I I , I I I I 1 I I Sail , ' I I1 I I 1 I I normal t I I vector \.·~., I I t•I I t Reflected Photons
4 NASA Image Real Solar Sails Are Not “Ideal”
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Reflected Photons
4 Thrust Vector Components
F(total)
vector M(total)
Reflected Photons 4 Solar Sail Trajectory Control
• Solar Radiation Pressure allows inward or outward Spiral
Original orbit +--, - ' ' / / --- -.... °"' ' I I Sail I Force Force \ 'K \ I Sail / ' ' , ___ _,,,,,,, / Shrinking orbit Expanding orbit Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun (IKAROS)
----Li ui - - ,·1 p ------off. 4.. --- ... ------_, Liquid Cl'Y tal device po, - r
9 Solar Sail Missions Flown (as of October 2019)
NanoSail-D (2010) IKAROS (2010) LightSail-1 (2015) CanX-7 (2016) InflateSail (2017) NASA JAXA The Planetary Society Canada EU/Univ. of Surrey
Earth Orbit Interplanetary Earth Orbit Earth Orbit Earth Orbit Deployment Only Full Flight Deployment Only Deployment Only Deployment Only
3U CubeSat 315 kg Smallsat 3U CubeSat 3U CubeSat 3U CubeSat 10 m2 196 m2 32 m2 <10 m2 10 m2
10 Current and Planned Solar Sail Missions
CU Aerospace (2019) LightSail-2 (2019) Near Earth Asteroid Solar Cruiser (2024) Univ. Illinois / NASA The Planetary Society Scout (2020) NASA NASA
Earth Orbit Earth Orbit Interplanetary L-1 Full Flight Full Flight Full Flight Full Flight In Orbit; Not yet In Orbit; Successful deployed 6U CubeSat 90 Kg Spacecraft 3U CubeSat 86 m2 >1200 m2 3U CubeSat 32 m2 20 m2
11 Near Earth Asteroid Scout
The Near Earth Asteroid Scout Will • Image/characterize a NEA during a slow flyby • Demonstrate a low cost asteroid reconnaissance capability
Key Spacecraft & Mission Parameters • 6U cubesat (20cm X 10cm X 30 cm) • ~86 m2 solar sail propulsion system • Manifested for launch on the Space Launch System (EM-1/2020) • 1 AU maximum distance from Earth
Leverages: combined experiences of MSFC and JPL Close Proximity Imaging Local scale morphology, with support from GSFC, JSC, & LaRC terrain properties, landing site survey
Target Reconnaissance with medium field imaging Shape, spin, and local environment Deployed Solar Sail NEA Scout Approximate Scale
Deployed Solar Sail here in packaged and spooled Folded, Human
School Bus 6U Stowed 6U System Flight Baseline Target Asteroid: 1991 VG
I: r • Diameter ~ 5 -12 meters '11 '11 --' ' • Rotation period between a few I , I ' 1t1 minutes and less than 1 hour I I 1: . I11 . I_I • Unlikely to have a companion • Unlikely to retain an exosphere or dust ' I! I 91 I cloud ' t . , , ' ~ , – Solar radiation pressure sweeps dust on timescales of hours or day ': ' I
Near-Earth Asteroid 1991VG (marked with green lines) on 2017 May 30. This is a composite of several images obtained with the ESO VLT. The images have been combined in 7 stacks tracking the position of the asteroid, resulting in the object appearing as 7 dots as it moves in front of the background stars. The stars appear trailed due to the motion of the asteroid during each series. Credit Hainaut/Micheli/Koschny Near Earth Asteroid Scout Mission Overview
Close Proximity Science High-resolution imaging, 10 /px over >30% surface SKGs: Local morphology Regolith properties
JPL
NEA Reconnaissance <100 km distance at encounter 50 cm/px resolution over 80% surface SKGs: volume, global shape, spin properties, local environment
Target
Reference Target Detection and Approach: stars 50K km, Light source observation SKGs: Ephemeris determination and composition assessment N;...... ~·-'• The Flight System . : .. ·. . . .
Star Tracker / RW Radio (JPL) Camera Driver (BCT) (JPL)
LGA (JPL) GSE Connector & Sep. Switches (COTS) Sun Sensors Iris Radio (BCT) (JPL)
Reaction Wheels (4) (BCT)
Solar Panel Restraints X4 (MMA/TBD) CDH EPS Interface (JPL) (TBD) Board (JPL) AMT (MSFC)
2Ux3U Solar Panel 3 Strings (TBD) Sail (MSFC) Solar Sail / AMT IMU (Sensonor) Controller Board (MSFC) RCS (TBD) HaWK Solar Panel Sail Deployer (MSFC) 3 Strings X2 (MMA) 2Ux3U Solar Panel (Hidden) LGA, Sun and MGA (TBD) Sensor (JPL/BCT) 16 NEA Scout – Mission Overview
System Performance: 2 0.075 mm/sec 28 Proxlrnlfy I <~OOOk:m I 2 I 25 g/m Target distance I Dabl Downlink T. n d Reconnal.ssdn~ ,.._,1-2 t?tddit:ionz,I lunt!lr flybys to • Slo target flyby target departure • Full success cri -erit!!I Additional loitering possible For Targd Search addressed and Approach Minirnu,n science off-no,nint!il lt!lunch dates success criteria c,ddr~d
Lunar Cruise < 1 AU Earth dist. Fly-by2+ S ub-p · eliin aging oF target -1 kbps DTE {34 ,n DSN} -bot!!lrdi,n age co-c,c/c/ing a On-boardsc ience Lunar Fly-by~ o achieve demction 5 'R processing Ephe,nen s c,nd color Separation • Mini,nu,n Ops., Periodic Trt!lcki '9 addrteSSed from SLS • Rehearsal oF science activi es
• De-tumble • Sa,1 deploy,nent- _Ta·rget· • In . -;,1 Hec,A O,ec.k • 5.?til c. t!!lrt!!lct-erinJ on • -10,n/s dV to • lunar fly- (SNR-:J 5~ target 1- lunar fly j b y ~ICC ~ ~ 'lii 5--::fsta,s Imagi ng of the I SLS EM-1 resolved arge I Target Scan Imagi ng I Launch I (lrnage Stacki g ) A ppro moT me lln I l + '10c:h ,-.t -=~ L_ ?_!M_d~~ - _,_ ------1 ,- ' - - _; _ ----- ~ ~- D ep I oy Earth-Moon Departure Cruise Recon Proximity Downlink17 '- . .; .. ·.-
_'. .. ··
Solar Cruiser Mission Concept
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Solar Cruiser may launch as a secondary payload on the NASA IMAP mission in October, 2024. It then cruises past the Sun-Earth L 1 point, demonstrating station keeping at an artificial equilibrium point. Solar Cruiser Solar Sail Technology Investment Heritage
HEOMD Near-Earth Asteroid Scout 86 m2, 2-year mission to an asteroid Manifested on Artemis 1 (2020)
LightSail 2 (The Planetary Society) 32 m2 sail Successful flight in 2019
LightSail 1 (The Planetary Society) 32 m2 sail (NanoSail heritage design) Successful flight in 2015
Reflective Lightweight Roccor Control Devices Integrate Solar Composite Boom MSFC NanoSail – D (RCDs) NASA Array (LISA) NeXolve Large Sail Technology 2 STMD Early thin-film Fabrication 10 m sail (made using parts left Phase I & II SBIR 2 Career Faculty power Automation over from 400 m (2018 – 2020) STRA (2012) generation Phase I &II SBIR demonstrator) In 2021, JWST will deploy 5 MSFC TIPs, (2019 – 2021) Successful flight 2010 layers (772m2) of thin film STMD ECI & material traceable to Solar SSTP (2012- Cruiser (NeXolve) 2021)
SMD In-Space Propulsion Technology Project HEOMD Near-Earth Asteroid Scout 86 m2 solar sail 400 m2 solar sail demonstrator Flight Unit Deployment Test (2014 - 2018) Deployed at Plumbrook Station (2000 – 2003) Key Feature: The Solar Sail
t ol
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~ N •~' ~.I .. y.! . . ...J. • Key Feature: PELE Coronagraph
PELE instrument (Polarization and Energetics in Line Emission) will provide space-based coronal imaging
...... ------Iii, , .. of both linear polarization states, , , , , , I combined with Doppler velocimetry, ,, ,I for a capability that is readily I extensible to future missions. 2 R0 I I I I I I f \ , \ , \ , \ , ' , ' ' , , The PELE coronagraph occults ' ...... _ _, , - -... ------the solar disk down to Rsun=1.1, enabling observations of magnetic structure in CME triggering regions .A12831 051 Solar Cruiser Operations Plan
Mission Phase Time Since Launch Duration (days) Activities (days) Launch and L+0 to L+28 28 Assess spacecraft Commissioning functionality Coronagraph Checkout L+29 to L+53 24 Test and operate coronagraph Sail Deploy and L+54 to L+61 7 Deploy and Assess Sail Checkout Sailcraft Cruise L+62 to L+221 160 Use sail to fly to sub-L1 Sub-L1 Halo Orbit L+222 to L+283 62 Operate coronagraph on the sailcraft Leave Ecliptic Plane L+284 to L+365 92 Demonstrate heliocentric plane change Science Enhancement L+366 to L+ 730 365 Use coronagraph to obtain science data Science Enhancement Option
After the Baseline mission, Solar Cruiser proposes a 1-year SEO to observe the solar corona from vantage points off the Sun-Earth Line
The sailcraft will cruise to 5 degrees Earth-trailing, where it will station- keep for 4 months for coronal observations WHY SOLAR SAILS? Solar Storm Warning
25 WHY SOLAR SAILS? High Inclination Solar Science
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2 2 Part of traj,ectory below Ecliptic 1. Launch 5--24-18 c3= .25 km ts Identified by dashed curve 2. Start of Sail Phase 6~3-18 3. Start of Cranking Phase 12-10-20 4. End of Cranking Phase 2-5-25 5. Start of Science Operations 3-2-25 My Real Motive… Going to the Stars!
INTERSTELLAR DEEP INTERSTELLAR FLYBY Solar Powered Solar or Laser Powered INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM EXPLORATION TECH DEV 4000-m DIA 0.1 g/m 2 MID-TERM SAILS TECH 2020 - 2030 DEV
MID-TERM TECH SAILS DEV >100,000 m2 NEAR-TERM 2015 - 2020 >10,000 m2 SAILS 2010 - 2015 TECH TECH DEV >1000m2 10 m2 DEV < 100m2 • Solar Polar Imager
• NEA Scout >1,000,000 m2 • NanoSail-D • LightSail A and B Questions?