@inproceedings{CarzanaDachwaldNoomen2017,
  author    = {Carzana, Livio and Dachwald, Bernd and Noomen, Ron},
  title     = {Model and trajectory optimization for an ideal laser-enhanced solar sail},
  series = {68th International Astronautical Congress},
  booktitle = {68th International Astronautical Congress},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {A laser-enhanced solar sail is a solar sail that is not solely propelled by solar radiation but additionally by a laser beam that illuminates the sail. This way, the propulsive acceleration of the sail results from the combined action of the solar and the laser radiation pressure onto the sail. The potential source of the laser beam is a laser satellite that coverts solar power (in the inner solar system) or nuclear power (in the outer solar system) into laser power. Such a laser satellite (or many of them) can orbit anywhere in the solar system and its optimal orbit (or their optimal orbits) for a given mission is a subject for future research. This contribution provides the model for an ideal laser-enhanced solar sail and investigates how a laser can enhance the thrusting capability of such a sail. The term "ideal" means that the solar sail is assumed to be perfectly reflecting and that the laser beam is assumed to have a constant areal power density over the whole sail area. Since a laser beam has a limited divergence, it can provide radiation pressure at much larger solar distances and increase the radiation pressure force into the desired direction. Therefore, laser-enhanced solar sails may make missions feasible, that would otherwise have prohibitively long flight times, e.g. rendezvous missions in the outer solar system. This contribution will also analyze exemplary mission scenarios and present optimial trajectories without laying too much emphasis on the design and operations of the laser satellites. If the mission studies conclude that laser-enhanced solar sails would have advantages with respect to "traditional" solar sails, a detailed study of the laser satellites and the whole system architecture would be the second next step},
  language  = {en}
}
@inproceedings{PirovanoSeefeldtDachwaldetal.2015,
  author    = {Pirovano, Laura and Seefeldt, Patric and Dachwald, Bernd and Noomen, Ron},
  title     = {Attitude and orbital modeling of an uncontrolled solar-sail experiment in low-Earth orbit},
  series = {25th International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics ISSFD},
  booktitle = {25th International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics ISSFD},
  pages     = {1 -- 15},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Gossamer-1 is the first project of the three-step Gossamer roadmap, the purpose of which is to develop, prove and demonstrate that solar-sail technology is a safe and reliable propulsion technique for long-lasting and high-energy missions. This paper firstly presents the structural analysis performed on the sail to understand its elastic behavior. The results are then used in attitude and orbital simulations. The model considers the main forces and torques that a satellite experiences in low-Earth orbit coupled with the sail deformation. Doing the simulations for varying initial conditions in attitude and rotation rate, the results show initial states to avoid and maximum rotation rates reached for correct and faulty deployment of the sail. Lastly comparisons with the classic flat sail model are carried out to test the hypothesis that the elastic behavior does play a role in the attitude and orbital behavior of the sail},
  language  = {en}
}
@inproceedings{PirovanoSeefeldtDachwaldetal.2015,
  author    = {Pirovano, Laura and Seefeldt, Patric and Dachwald, Bernd and Noomen, Ron},
  title     = {Attitude and Orbital Dynamics Modeling for an Uncontrolled Solar-Sail Experiment in Low-Earth Orbit},
  series = {25th International Symposium on Spaceflight Dynamics, 2015, Munich, Germany},
  booktitle = {25th International Symposium on Spaceflight Dynamics, 2015, Munich, Germany},
  pages     = {15 S.},
  year      = {2015},
  language  = {en}
}