Program: SBIR

Agency: BMDO

TOPIC Number: BMDO1999-016

Contract Number: NAS3-99-178

Awarded In: 1999

Award Start Date: 14JUN99

Proposal Title: Solar Sail Microspacecraft

Principal Investigator Name: Robert M. Zubrin

Principal Investigator Phone: (303) 980-0890

Principal Investigator Email:

Field Office: BMDO

Control Number: 99-241

Phase: 1

Award Amount: $69,989

Award Completion Date: 13DEC99

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Firm:

PIONEER ASTRONAUTICS

445 Union Blvd. Ste. 125

Lakewood, CO 80228

URL: Woman Owned: N

Minority Owned: N

Number of Employees: 8

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Keywords:SOLAR SAIL MICROSPACECRAFT SATELLITE ORBIT TRANSFER HIGH-IMPULSE PROPULSION

Abstract:The Solar Sail Microspacecraft (SSM) is a low-cost concept for implementing solar sail propulsion on a practical spacecraft with present-day technology. In the SSM, a simple micro-spacecraft derived vehicle is employed which could cheaply investigate multiple targets and simultaneously demonstrate the utility of small solar sails. The SSM reduces technology risk by using off-the-shelf aluminized mylar. A very small core vehicle with short range communication systems drastically reduces the size of the sails, allowing the spacecraft to be launched as a hitchhiker payload. Because the spacecraft is small, the sail is small, allowing it to be self-deployed using either a rolled spring-steel or inflatable self-deploying boom system. Because of its maneuverability, the SSM could visit multiple targets, engaging in photographic inspection of friendly or adversarial satellites. A SSM could be used to disable or destroy other satellites by parking itself in a position where it blocked the target spacecraft's solar arrays. It could also be used to interfere with the operation of an opponent's remote sensing vehicle by using its sails to block the view. This proposed study shall examine the design and construction of a low-cost, near-term SSM vehicle for immediate use in near Earth space