Solar Sailing: Technology, Dynamics and Mission Applications

Since the first edition of this text was published in 1999 and recognised as the definitive reference work on solar sailing, the field has moved on considerably. Therefore, in this timely second edition, Colin McInnes presents in this comprehensive technical reference on the subject major revisions and an enlarged chapter on mission applications, based on work performed by the author, under contract to the European Space Agency between 1999 and 2003. The text assesses the benefits of solar sailing and comes to the inescapable conclusion that it offers a diverse range of low-cost mission opportunities, many of which are impossible for any other type of conventional spacecraft. Introducing new ideas for solar sail orbits and mission applications since 1999, the author puts particular emphasis on solar sail orbital dynamics and includes a rigorous analysis of solar radiation pressure. The engineering design of solar sails is discussed in depth, along with practical mission applications.