Solar sail orbits at artificial Sun-Earth libration points

McInnes, Colin R. and Baoyin, Hexi (2005) Solar sail orbits at artificial Sun-Earth libration points. Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, 28 (6). pp. 1328-1331. ISSN 1533-3884 (https://doi.org/10.2514/1.14598)

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Abstract

In this Note a new family of solar sail orbits will be investigated in the sun-Earth circular restricted three-body problem. It will be shown that periodic orbits can be developed that are displaced above or below the plane of the restricted three-body system. Whereas traditional halo orbits are centered on the classical libration points, these new orbits are associated with artificial libration points. The orbits are retrograde, circular orbits with a period half that of the orbit period of the two primary masses of the problem. Numerical analysis of stability and controllability of the orbits shows that the orbits are unstable but completely controllable with both lightness number (sail areal density) and sail attitude.

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