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An Update to the NASA Reference Solar Sail Thrust ModelAn optical model of solar sail material originally derived at JPL in 1978 has since served as the de facto standard for NASA and other solar sail researchers. The optical model includes terms for specular and diffuse reflection, thermal emission, and non-Lambertian diffuse reflection. The standard coefficients for these terms are based on tests of 2.5 micrometer Kapton sail material coated with 100 nm of aluminum on the front side and chromium on the back side. The original derivation of these coefficients was documented in an internal JPL technical memorandum that is no longer available. Additionally more recent optical testing has taken place and different materials have been used or are under consideration by various researchers for solar sails. Here, where possible, we re-derive the optical coefficients from the 1978 model and update them to accommodate newer test results and sail material. The source of the commonly used value for the front side non-Lambertian coefficient is not clear, so we investigate that coefficient in detail. Although this research is primarily designed to support the upcoming NASA NEA Scout and Lunar Flashlight solar sail missions, the results are also of interest to the wider solar sail community.
Document ID
20150021404
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Heaton, Andrew F.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Artusio-Glimpse, Alexandra B.
(Rochester Inst. of Tech. Rochester, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
November 19, 2015
Publication Date
August 31, 2015
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
M15-4832
Meeting Information
Meeting: AIAA Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition (AIAA SPACE 2015)
Location: Pasadena, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: August 31, 2015
End Date: September 2, 2015
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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