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]

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3: Continued mission plan (themes related to the main mission)

3.1: large membrane extension

Continuation theme 1:

Evaluate the extended state and check up on mechanical deterioration of the sail surface

New theme 1:

Proactively pull out the membrane behavoiur and shape changes and construct a dynamic model of the extendes state

3.2: Power generation

Continuation theme 2:

evaluate the capacity and monitor system deterioration

3.3: Verification of acceralation by the sail

Continuation theme 3:

Evaluate its ability and dependency on reflection characteristics and deterioration, and attitude dependecy on membrane shape during photon acceralation

New theme 2:

Improve, given membrane shape changes, the the seperation accuracy of photon reflection and areas concerend, and use the data to construct an optical parameter model of the membrane

3.4: Navigational skills:

New theme 3:

Make use of the increasing distance between Earth and IKAROS, to evaluate the orbit determination accuracy under photon pressure andacceralation

New theme 4:

Evaluate the long term control/guidance characteristics per each orbit revolution

NOTE 1: With all of these themes they are expected to be completed by 31 March 2012, and contribute to the next step in development for the project targetted at Jupitor and the Troia group of asteriods

NOTE 2: Mission included in the continuation plan should contribute to the studies of large membranes, orbit determination/control under solar photons. These will be useful for other purposes and projects.

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3: Comments on new themes included in the continued operation

New themes 1 and 2:

These should contribute to the studies of large membrane structure.

We confirmed, from regular operation so far, that changes in sun angle and spin rate will lead to membrane shape changes and that solar photon pressure does contribute to membrane behavoiur.

With this in mind, we will proactively alter the combination of sun angle and spin rate in order to;

1. construct a dynamic model of the extended membrane structure

2. consttuct an optical parameter model of the membrane

New themes 3 and 4:

These will contribute to the studies of orbit determination and guidance under photon pressure.

Given increasing changes in the relative positions of Earth and IKAROS compared with those during the initial regular operation we will make use of them in order to;

1. evaluate orbit determination accuracy under photon acceralation (accuracy decreases as the distance increases)

2. Evaluate long term controlability (evaluate orbit info per every revolution around the sun)

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