Solar Sail Orbital Control Using Reflectivity Variations near the Earth–Moon L2 Point

What is it about?

For full-scale lunar explorations, it is essential to establish constant communication with the far side of the Moon. One idea to accomplish this is telecommunication via a solar sail orbiting the L2 point. The coupled attitude-orbit control is a promising technique to reduce a solar sail mass. This paper proposes a coupled attitude-orbit control law for a combination of solar electric propulsion and a solar sail equipped with reflectivity control devices (RCDs) in the Earth--Moon system. An artificial halo orbit that takes the solar radiation pressure into consideration is designed to be used as the reference orbit. Feedback control laws to maintain the satellite onto the orbit are designed using a backstepping method. From the numerical simulations, it is shown that the utilization of RCDs reduces the fuel consumption required for maintaining the satellite onto the orbit.    

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Why is it important?

The coupled attitude-orbit control is a promising technique to reduce a solar sail mass. This paper proposes a coupled attitude-orbit control law for a combination of solar electric propulsion and a solar sail equipped with reflectivity control devices (RCDs) in the Earth--Moon system. An artificial halo orbit that takes the solar radiation pressure into consideration is designed to be used as the reference orbit. Feedback control laws to maintain the satellite onto the orbit are designed using a backstepping method. it is shown that the utilization of RCDs reduces the fuel consumption required for maintaining the satellite onto the orbit.