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NASA NTRS2008

NanoSail-D

The "NanoSail-D" mission is currently scheduled for launch onboard a Falcon-1 Launch Vehicle in the early June 2008 timeframe. The NanoSail-D spacecraft will consist of a solar sail subsystem stowed in a 2U volume and a 1U spacecraft bus, provided by Ames Research Center. The primary objectives of the NanoSail-D technology demonstration mission are to fabricate, stow and deploy on-orbit a solar sail and perform a de-orbit maneuver to demonstrate a potential orbital debris mitigation technology. The NanoSail-D mission is being developed through a collaborative effort between the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the NASA Ames Research Center Small Spacecraft Office. Details of the NanoSail-D system will be presented, including: 1) design details of the solar sail reflective membrane quadrants, gossamer booms, deployment system and passive attitude control system, 2) design analysis results including structural, thermal, environmental, orbital debris and safety, and 3) test results including deployment, ascent venting, launch vibration and PPOD integration verification.

Montgomery, Edward E., IV↗

NASA NTRS2005

Modeling the Multi-Body System Dynamics of a Flexible Solar Sail Spacecraft

Solar sail propulsion systems enable a wide range of space missions that are not feasible with current propulsion technology. Hardware concepts and analytical methods have matured through ground development to the point that a flight validation mission is now realizable. Much attention has been given to modeling the structural dynamics of the constituent elements, but to date an integrated system level dynamics analysis has been lacking. Using a multi-body dynamics and control analysis tool called TREETOPS, the coupled dynamics of the sailcraft bus, sail membranes, flexible booms, and control system sensors and actuators of a representative solar sail spacecraft are investigated to assess system level dynamics and control issues. With this tool, scaling issues and parametric trade studies can be performed to study achievable performance, control authority requirements, and control/structure interaction assessments.

Kim, Young↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Research Activities at NASA: “The Hera Astronaut Analog Mission, Astrobee, and the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System”

During this seminar, I will talk about three of the projects I’ve been involved with at NASA in the last few years: - The Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) is a ground-based astronaut analog mission run at NASA’s JSC in Houston to study and evaluate impacts on the crew due to isolation, remoteness, and confined habitation. NASA scientists use the collected data to develop and verify countermeasures to reduce or mitigate psychological and physiological effects for future Deep Space missions. This simulation was a 45-day trip to Mars’s moon Phobos and back with the goal of performing geological operations with complete communications delays in effect. - Astrobee is a new class of free-flying robots that operates in the interior of the International Space Station (ISS). In addition to being a research platform for microgravity free-flying robotics, Astrobee improves the efficiency of ISS operations by providing flight and payload controllers with a mobile camera and a sensor platform. - NASA is developing new deployable structures and material technologies for solar sail propulsion systems destined for future low-cost deep space missions. NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) uses composite materials in its novel, lightweight booms that deploy from a Cubesat. Data obtained from ACS3 will guide the design of future larger-scale composite solar sail systems that could be used for several deep space exploration missions

International Space Station↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Solar Sail Shape Modeling Approach for Attitude Control Design and Analysis

Solar sails operating in the space environment experience deformations in sail shape that result in relatively large disturbance torques which dictate the required performance of the spacecraft attitude control and momentum management systems. These deformations are driven by thermal loads on the booms (due to uneven solar heating), manufacturing and assembly tolerances, and variations in membrane tension. The Solar Cruiser spacecraft utilizes a four-quadrant sail design with four 30-meter length booms and four triangular sail membranes, creating a square sail structure of >1600 m2. Medium-fidelity mesh models were developed based on a characteristic deformed shape. A series of parametric studies were conducted using this shape paradigm to determine worst-case deformed sail shapes which produce bounding disturbance torques. A large database of shapes was produced, and the forces and moments induced by each individual shape were calculated using a Rios-Reyes reduced order generalized sail model. Two were selected as reference worst-case shapes for the Solar Cruiser mission: one which produced the highest pitch/yaw root-sum-squared (RSS) torque, and one which produced the highest roll torque. The results showed that the worst-case shapes at high solar incidence angles induce significantly higher (2-10x) disturbance torques than an ideal, flat-plate sail. Even with considerable safety margins, assuming an ideal sail is unlikely to sufficiently bound the disturbances, which is critical when designing the attitude control system and sizing actuators. Accurate sail shape modeling methodologies should therefore be employed on future solar sail missions.

Solar Sail↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Solar Sail Shape Modeling Approach for Attitude Control Design and Analysis

Solar sails operating in the space environment experience deformations in sail shape that result in relatively large disturbance torques which dictate the required performance of the spacecraft attitude control and momentum management systems. These deformations are driven by thermal loads on the booms (due to uneven solar heating), manufacturing and assembly tolerances, and variations in membrane tension. The Solar Cruiser spacecraft utilizes a four-quadrant sail design with four 30-meter length booms and four triangular sail membranes, creating a square sail structure of >1600 m2. Medium-fidelity mesh models were developed based on a characteristic deformed shape. A series of parametric studies were conducted using this shape paradigm to determine worst-case deformed sail shapes which produce bounding disturbance torques. A large database of shapes was produced, and the forces and moments induced by each individual shape were calculated using a Rios-Reyes reduced order generalized sail model [1]. Two were selected as reference worst-case shapes for the Solar Cruiser mission: one which produced the highest pitch/yaw root-sum-squared (RSS) torque, and one which produced the highest roll torque. The results showed that the worst-case shapes at high solar incidence angles induce significantly higher (2-10x) disturbance torques than an ideal, flat-plate sail. Even with considerable safety margins, assuming an ideal sail is unlikely to sufficiently bound the disturbances, which is critical when designing the attitude control system and sizing actuators. Accurate sail shape modeling methodologies should therefore be employed on future solar sail missions. References [1] L. Rios-Reyes and D. J. Scheeres, “Generalized Model for Solar Sails,” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 42, Jan. 2005, pp. 182–185, 10.2514/1.9054.

Solar Sail↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Solar Cruiser TRAC Boom Development

The TRAC boom studied is a 30 meter, high-aspect ratio and highly nonlinear structural element planned for the NASA Solar Cruiser spacecraft where it would serve as the solar sail’s skeletal system designed to deploy the packaged reflective sail membrane as well as support operational sail tension loads for flight. Key design drivers for this boom are understanding and characterizing load-deformation behavior and quantifying buckling performance–under flight conditions (zero gravity). Knowing that the full-scale solar sail system cannot be feasibly tested for flight conditions under Earth’s gravity, a building block approach is methodically followed to verify finite element analysis (FEA) predictions and to evolve the finite element model (FEM) accordingly, beginning with the lowest level complexity to match global elastic behavior to the highest level complexity to bound theoretical responses under conservative expected flight conditions. Although the testing campaign for the TRAC boom has not developed yet to produce a full-scale test data point that loads the boom to failure, the fidelity of simulations have evolved with success and warrant further interest and work on this high-aspect ratio, but highly stable, deployable structural boom.

Lee Nguyen↗

NASA NTRS2018

Bistable Collapsible Tubular Mast Booms

A promising candidate for deployable composite structures is the two-shelled Collapsible Tubular Mast (CTM) boom, which is to be employed on future solar sail and interplanetary small satellite platforms by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This is due to its two omega-shaped shells forming a closed-section which yields large stiffnesses that allowed for high dimensional stability. An inextensional analytical model describing the bending deformation mechanics of CTM booms was used to determine how design variables induce bistability, or the existence of two strain energy wells. Bistable booms were favorable due to low strain energy requirements for the coiled state and had more controllable deployment when compared to monostable booms. The effects of varying lamina material, laminate layup, and shell arc geometries between different inner and outer shell segments on the second strain energy well and stiffness properties were determined for cross-sections formed by circular segments. The full design space for two-shelled composite CTM booms was explored to evaluate the validity of the simple analytical model developed. Optimal CTM boom designs were manufactured and experimentally characterized for comparisons against model results. The model under-predicted the second stable coiled diameter of the complete two-shelled booms by 27-33% and as low as 3-8% for the individual shells wrapped alone.

Fernandez, Juan M.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Experimental Setup for Mechanically Testing Subscale Triangular, Rollable, and Collapsible Deployable Composite Booms

High-strain composite deployable space structures are used for space infrastructure and science applications such as solar array supports, antennae, camera masts, and lightweight structures supporting solar sailing propulsion elements. Triangular, Rollable, and Collapsible (TRAC) deployable composite booms are one example of a high-strain composite deployable structure and were studied using novel experimental test and characterization methods developed under the Gravity Offloading and Analysis of Long Imperfection-sensitive Elements (GOALIE) project. In the present work, a subscale 7-m-long TRAC boom was suspended vertically to orient gravity along the length of the boom. By orienting vertically, highly nonlinear and unstable behavior often encountered during horizontally oriented gravity offload testing of similar structures was reduced. Pretest analytical predictions of TRAC booms indicated three unique failure modes, loads, and locations for three unique loading cases of in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending, and axial compression. To investigate the predicted behavior, an experimental test was set up to impart mechanical loads to a subscale TRAC boom. The experimental setup, loading cases, and instrumentation used to characterize the mechanical response of a subscale TRAC boom are described in this paper.

Experimental testing↗

NASA NTRS2002

Deployment, Foam Rigidization, and Structural Characterization of Inflatable Thin-Film Booms

Detailed investigation of the construction, packaging/deployment, foam rigidization, and structural characterization of polyimide film inflatable booms is described. These structures have considerable potential for use in space with solar concentrators, solar sails, space power systems including solar arrays, and other future missions. Numerous thin-film booms or struts were successfully constructed, inflated, injected with foam, and rigidized. Both solid-section and annular test articles were fabricated, using Kapton polyimide film, various adhesives, Styrofoam end plugs, and polyurethane pressurized foam. Numerous inflation/deployment experiments were conducted and compared to computer simulations using the MSC/DYTRAN code. Finite element models were developed for several foam-rigidized struts and compared to model test results. Several problems encountered in the construction, deployment, and foam injection/rigidization process are described. Areas of difficulty included inadequate adhesive strength, cracking of the film arid leakage, excessive bending of the structure during deployment, problems with foam distribution and curing properties, and control of foam leakage following injection into the structure. Many of these problems were overcome in the course of the research.

Schnell, Andrew R.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Experimental Setup for Mechanically Testing Subscale Triangular, Rollable, and Collapsible Deployable Composite Booms

High-strain composite deployable space structures are used for space infrastructure and science applications such as solar array supports, antennae, camera masts, and lightweight structures supporting solar sailing propulsion ele-ments. Triangular, Rollable, and Collapsible (TRAC) deployable composite booms are one example of a high-strain composite deployable structure and were studied using novel experimental test and characterization methods developed under the Gravity Offloading and Analysis of Long Imperfection-sensitive Ele-ments (GOALIE) project. In the present work, a subscale 7-m-long TRAC boom was suspended vertically to orient gravity along the length of the boom. By ori-enting vertically, highly nonlinear and unstable behavior often encountered dur-ing horizontally oriented gravity offload testing of similar structures was reduced. Pretest analytical predictions of TRAC booms indicated three unique failure modes, loads, and locations for three unique loading cases of in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending, and axial compression. To investigate the predicted behav-ior, an experimental test was set up to impart mechanical loads to a subscale TRAC boom. The experimental setup, loading cases, and instrumentation used to characterize the mechanical response of a subscale TRAC boom are described in this paper.

High-strain composites↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The High Inclination Solar Mission (HISM)

The High Inclination Solar Mission (HISM) is an out-of-the-ecliptic solar sail mission concept for observing the Sun and the heliosphere. The mission profile is based on the Solar Polar Imager concept: initially spiraling in to a 0.48 AU ecliptic orbit, then increasing the orbital inclination at a rate of up to 10° degrees per year, ultimately reaching a heliographic inclination of >75°.The orbital profile is achieved using solar sails based on the sail design for the Solar Cruiser mission, currently in Phase-A study at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. An initial instrument complement was assumed for the study, consisting of a combination of remote, in-situ, and plasma wave instruments with a total mass of 66 kg. These provide a comprehensive suite of instruments to study the solar polar regions and connections to the heliosphere. The 7,000 m sail used in the mission assessment is a direct extension of the 4-quadrant 1,666 m Solar Cruiser design and employs the same type of high strength composite boom, deployment mechanism, and membrane technology. The sail system modeled is spun (~1 rpm) to assure required boom characteristics with margin. The spacecraft bus features a fine-pointing 3-axisstabilized instrument platform that allows full science observations as soon as the spacecraft reaches a solar distance of 0.48 AU. The spacecraft provides 95W power to science instruments and 8 Gbit/day downlink capability.

solar sail↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Experimental Characterization of the Dimensional Stability of Deployable Composite Booms During Stowage

Thin-ply carbon fiber reinforced polymer materials offer the opportunity to create long thin-shell booms with high strength to weight ratios. These booms can be rolled up and stowed in small volumes to be later deployed. These features make them ideal for use in gossamer solar sails as well as other deployable space structures. It has been observed that stowing the booms in rolled-up configurations can cause time-dependent deformations. A comprehensive understanding of the detrimental effects of stowing the coiled booms is necessary to implement these structures in spaceflight missions. During stowage inside the spacecraft, the boom is subjected to a constant deformation/strain that causes it to relax over time, measurable by a decrease in stress. Using large deformation bending tests, the complete fold-stow-unfold-recover cycle of thin-laminate candidates for the rollable booms is characterized. Further bending and stowage testing is done at the boom level. The results from this test campaign will be used to evaluate the dimensional stability of deployable booms made from thin-ply composites that exhibit visco-elasto-plastic behavior and calibrate and validate numerical finite element models that include visco-elasto-plastic material models.

Experimental Characterization↗

NASA NTRS2018

Testing and Development of NEA Scout Solar Sail Deployer Mechanism

The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) [1] Scout is a deep space CubeSat designed to use an 86 m2 solar sail to navigate to a near earth asteroid called VG 1991. The solar sail deployment mechanism aboard NEA Scout has gone through numerous design cycles and ground tests since its conception in 2014. An engineering development unit (EDU) was constructed in the spring of 2016 and since then, the NEA Scout team has completed numerous ground deployments aiming to mature the deployment system and the ground test methods used to validate that system. Testing a large, non-rigid gossamer system in 1G environments has presented its difficulties to numerous solar sailing programs before, but NEA Scout's size, sail configuration, and budget has led the team to develop new deployment techniques and uncover new practices while improving their test methods. The program has planned and completed 5 separate full scale sail deployments to date, with a flight sail deployment test scheduled for FY18. The paper entitled "Design and Development of NEA Scout Solar Sail Deployer Mechanism" [2] was presented at the 43rd Aerospace Mechanisms Symposia. Since then, the system has matured and completed ascent vent, random vibration, boom deployment and sail deployment tests. This paper will discuss the lessons learned and advancements made while working on solar sail deployment testing and mechanical redesign cycles.

Few, Alex↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Solar Polar Imager Concept

During late 2019 and early 2020, the Advanced Concepts Office design team at NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) completed a concept study for a Solar Polar Imager (SPI) mission. The goal of the study was to perform a preliminary design of the spacecraft bus containing a minimum set of science instruments and supporting subsystems. The science goal of the SPI mission is to better understand the Sun and the heliosphere by observing the Sun from a high heliographic latitude. A highly inclined orbit (of 75°) allows helioseismology observations from a high latitude, providing measurements in the high latitude regions for the first time. The orbit also allows measurements of the photospheric magnetic fields in the polar regions, as well as direct measurements of the heliospheric magnetic field and solar wind. The high latitude gives the spacecraft a unique top-down view of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that could affect space weather around Earth and allow the velocity and directions of these CMEs to be better quantified. Solar sail technology is chosen as the propulsion option necessary to deliver the spacecraft to a heliocentric circular orbit at 0.48 AU and an inclination of 75°. The sail area is restricted to 7000 m2, the maximum size that can be developed in the near term. The sail is also assumed to rotate at 1 rpm to avoid buckling of the supporting booms. The total launch mass is 349 kg, which consists of 233 kg for the SPI Bus, 52 kg for the solar sail and deployment mechanisms, and 64 kg for the Spin-up Bus/launch vehicle payload adapter. Dropping the Spin-up Bus after sail deployment, the characteristic acceleration of the sail is about 0.22 mm/s2. The resulting total mission time is just over 13 years, which includes a 3-year duration at the 75° inclination.

Dan Thomas↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Solar Polar Imager Concept

Dan Thomas↗

NASA NTRS2007

NASA Solar Sail Propulsion Technology Development

NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology Program has developed the first generation of solar sail propulsion systems sufficient to accomplish inner solar system science and exploration missions. These first generation solar sails, when operational, will range in size from 40 meters to well over 100 meters in diameter and have an areal density of less than 13 grams per square meter. A rigorous, multi-year technology development effort culminated in 2005 with the testing of two different 20-m solar sail systems under thermal vacuum conditions. The first system, developed by ATK Space Systems of Goleta, California, uses rigid booms to deploy and stabilize the sail. In the second approach, L'Garde, Inc. of Tustin, California uses inflatable booms that rigidize in the coldness of space to accomplish sail deployment. This effort provided a number of significant insights into the optimal design and expected performance of solar sails as well as an understanding of the methods and costs of building and using them. In a separate effort, solar sail orbital analysis tools for mission design were developed and tested. Laboratory simulations of the effects of long-term space radiation exposure were also conducted on two candidate solar sail materials. Detailed radiation and charging environments were defined for mission trajectories outside the protection of the earth's magnetosphere, in the solar wind environment. These were used in other analytical tools to prove the adequacy of sail design features for accommodating the harsh space environment. Preceding and in conjunction with these technology efforts, NASA sponsored several mission application studies for solar sails. Potential missions include those that would be flown in the near term to study the sun and be used in space weather prediction to one that would use an evolved sail capability to support humanity's first mission into nearby interstellar space. This paper will describe the status of solar sail propulsion within NASA, nearterm solar sail mission applications, and near-term plans for further development.

Johnson, Les↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The NASA Solar Cruiser Mission - Solar Sail Propulsion Enabling Heliophysics Missions

Solar Cruiser is a Small Satellite Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) to mature solar sail propulsion technology to enable near-term, high-priority breakthrough science missions as defined in the Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey. Solar sails have the potential to provide high ΔV for many types of missions. Solar sails are large, mirror-like structures made of a lightweight material that reflects sunlight to propel the spacecraft. The continuous solar photon pressure provides thrust with no need for the heavy, expendable propellants used by conventional chemical and electric propulsion systems. Solar Cruiser will demonstrate a “sailcraft” platform with pointing control and attitude stability comparable to traditional platforms, upon which a new class of Heliophysics missions may fly. It will show sailcraft operation (acceleration, navigation, station keeping, heliocentric plane change) scalability of sail technologies such as the boom, membrane, and deployer to enable more demanding missions, such as high inclination solar imaging. Solar Cruiser will launch as a secondary payload with NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) in early 2025. The sailcraft will separate from the launch vehicle on a near-L1 trajectory (Sun-Earth Lagrangian Point 1; sunward of L1 along the Sun-Earth Line) and complete its primary mission in 11 months or less.

Solar Sail↗

NASA NTRS1994

INSAT-2A and 2B development mechanisms

The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) 2A and 2B have deployment mechanisms for deploying the solar array, two C/S band antenna reflectors and a coilable lattice boom with sail. The mechanisms have worked flawlessly on both satellites. The configuration details, precautions taken during the design phase, the test philosophy, and some of the critical analysis activities are discussed.

Sathyanarayan, M. N.↗