Geosail: A novel solar sail mission concept for geospace

Alexander, D. and McInnes, C.R. and Angelopoulos, V. and Sandeman, A.W. and Macdonald, M.; El-Genk, Mohammed S., ed. (2002) Geosail: A novel solar sail mission concept for geospace. In: Proceeding of the AIP Space Technology and Appications International Forum/Staif 2002, Innovative Transportation Systems and Beyond. American Institute of Physics, pp. 305-312. ISBN 1-56396-980-7

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Abstract

The GeoSail mission employs a low-performance solar sail, attainable with the current state-of-the-art technologies, to carry out breakthrough scientific measurements in the Earth's magnetotail. A solar sail ~40-50m across can achieve the 0.1 mm/s2 acceleration required to provide the necessary precession rate. Such a mission provides a scientific milestone on the road to significantly more advanced solar sail missions.