Refine
Year of publication
Institute
- Fachbereich Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik (213) (remove)
Document Type
- Conference Proceeding (213) (remove)
Keywords
- hydrogen (4)
- solar sail (4)
- Eisschicht (3)
- Karosseriebau (3)
- MASCOT (3)
- Sonde (3)
- GOSSAMER-1 (2)
- Hydrogen (2)
- Micromix (2)
- NOx emissions (2)
Solar sails are propelled in space by reflecting solar photons off large mirroring surfaces, thereby transforming the momentum of the photons into a propulsive force. This innovative concept for low-thrust space propulsion works without any propellant and thus provides a wide range of opportunities for highenergy low-cost missions. Offering an efficient way of propulsion, solar sailcraft could close a gap in transportation options for highly demanding exploration missions within our solar system and even beyond. On December 17th, 1999, a significant step was made towards the realization of this technology: a lightweight solar sail structure with an area of 20 m × 20 m was successfully deployed on ground in a large facility at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) at Cologne. The deployment from a package of 60 cm × 60 cm × 65 cm with a total mass of less than 35 kg was achieved using four extremely light-weight carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) booms with a specific mass of 100 g/m. The paper briefly reviews the basic principles of solar sails as well as the technical concept and its realization in the ground demonstration experiment, performed in close cooperation between DLR and ESA. Next possible steps are outlined. They could comprise the in-orbit demonstration of the sail deployment on the upper stage of a low-cost rocket and the verification of the propulsion concept by an autonomous and free flying solar sail in the frame of a scientific mission. It is expected that the present design could be extended to sail sizes of about (40 m)2 up to even (70 m)2 without significant mass penalty. With these areas, the maximum achievable thrust at 1 AU would range between 10 and 40 mN – comparable to some electric thrusters. Such prototype sails with a mass between 50 and 150 kg plus a micro-spacecraft of 50 to 250 kg would have a maximum acceleration in the order of 0.1 mm/s2 at 1 AU, corresponding to a maximum ∆V-capability of about 3 km/s per year. Two near/medium-term mission examples to a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) will be discussed: a rendezvous mission
and a sample return mission.
1) Module werden die Fahrzeugplattform und den –aufbau in Zukunft weiterhin und in zunehmendem Maße bestimmen. 2) Neue Module und Modulschnittstellen am Fahrzeug werden überdacht und können in der Zukunft erwartet werden. 3) Die Wertschöpfung und der Entwicklungsumfang wird sich vom OEM zum Modullieferanten verlagern. 4) Modulvergaben werden in der Zukunft noch stärker auf Innovation und Kostenreduktion beruhen. 5) Modularisierung des Fahrzeuges heißt ein Aufbrechen der Fahrzeugkarosserie und wird daher von der Beherrschung struktureller Aufgaben sowie der Lösung der (sichtbaren) Modulübergänge bestimmt sein. 6) Neben den Systemintegratoren und den Komponentenspezialisten besetzen die Modullieferanten die erste Lieferantenriege. 7) Der Modullieferant wird neben höchster Fertigungsexpertise ein hohes Maß an (Teil-)fahrzeug-Know-How und Produktentwickler-mentalität bereitstellen.
Solar sailcraft provide a wide range of opportunities for high-energy low-cost missions. To date, most mission studies require a rather demanding performance that will not be realized by solar sailcraft of the first generation.
However, even with solar sailcraft of moderate performance, scientifically relevant missions are feasible. This is demonstrated with a Near Earth Asteroid sample return mission and various planetary rendezvous missions.
RaWid was the German national technology programme on transonic aerodynamics and supporting technologies, lasting from 1995 to 1998. One of the main topics was laminar wing development. Besides aerodynamic design work, many operational aspects were investigated. A manufacturing concept was developed to be applied to operational laminar wings and empennages. It was built in a large scale manufacturing demonstrator with the aerodynamic shape of a 1,5 m section of the A320 fin nose. Tolerances in shape and roughness fulfilled all requirements. The construction can easily be adapted to varying stiffness and strength requirements. Weight and manufacturing costs are comparable to common nose designs. The mock-up to be designed in ALTTA is based on this manufacturing principle. Another critical point is contamination of suction surfaces. Several tests were performed to investigate perforated titanium suction surfaces at realistic operational conditions: - a one year flight test with a suction plate in the stagnation area of the Airbus "Beluga" - a one year test of several suction plates in a ground test near the airport - a one year test of a working suction ground test installation at all weather conditions. No critical results were found. There is no long term suction degradation visible. Icing conditions and ground de-icing fluids used on airports did not pose severe problems. Some problems detected require only respection of weak design constraints.