IKAROS JAXA Solar Sail mission Options

[Vultur]

IKAROS sounds really cool, is there any website to find more info on it?

[punkboi]

IKAROS sounds really cool, is there any website to find more info on it?

Project Page: http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/ikaros/index_e.html

Photos: http://jda.jaxa.jp/jda/p3_e.php?mode=level...mp;mission=9095

Description Page: http://www.jspec.jaxa.jp/e/activity/ikaros.html

[nprev]

Pandaneko, by all means please take your time...and thank you for this!!!

[pandaneko]

I will start from page 4 again. One thing that bothers me is that nowhere on this report submission it says submission was made to the Space Activities Comission (SAC) and the strange reference number, 4-2. I have a feeling that this is not an official report, rather internal, perhaps, and also interim, just to say, at this stage, something for the public at large.

Anyway,

Page 4 of the report 4-2 is as follows (this is a 30 page report)

2. Confirming results of the mission requests

1. Expansion of the large area membrane

1.1 Expand the 20 m (diagonal) membrane in vacuum and under zero gravity using the mechanism similar to that to be used with future space probes.

Completed: (I will come to definition at the end of this page, P)

Leading mas seperation on 26 May, primary expansion during 2-8 June, and final expansion on 9 June, and after that expansion was spin maintained

1.2 Evaluate expansion behaviour and expanded status and reflect the findings into the analytical model for expansion simulation.

Achieved: (I will come to definition at the end of this page, P)

We confirmed that observed expansion behaviour was more or less consistent with our prior simulation. We also evaluated discrepancies and refelected them into the analytical model.

2. (this 2 is within the header 2. that is, subsection 2, P) Power generation by the solar power sail

2.1 Generate power with the thin film solar power generation system, through the membrane harness, and confirm it by IKAROS itself

Completed:

power generation was confirmed on 10 June

2.2 Obtain relevant data of the solar cells on the membrane and grasp their characreristics

Achieved:

We conducted about once per week evaluation and compared the data with predicted deteriooration curve and grasped the characteristics

3. Confirm acceralation by the solar sail

3.1 Confirm solar sail's acceralation effects by orbit determination (measued distances and distance change rates)

Completed:

We observed photon induced acceralation and confirmed that the resultant propulsion was within the designed values.

3.2 Evaluate acceralation ability and reflect obtained data into the orbit determination methods for reaching target astronomical bodies

Achieved:

Optical characteristics were inorporated into the attitude orbital dynamics and established the optical method for parameter determination

and refelected those into the orbit planning system

4. Obtain navigation techniques with the solar sail

4.1 Confirm orbit determination techniques under photon induced acceralation

Achieved:

We have built a photon induced acceralation model and established the orbit detemining method including tracking, and actually operated the model with IKAROS.

4.2 Establish active control methods for photon induced vector treatment by the sail and the navigational techqniques by using those control methods

Achieved:

We confirmed that we can achieve required and planned orbit control by active sail attitude manoever. We conducted this relative to Venus and are satisfied with the results.

Glossary:

Achieved: mission requests jhave been more or less met and addtional analysis (including data from continued operation) may lead to further results

Completed: all of mission requests have been met perfectly

P