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Controllable Propulsion by Light: Steering a Solar Sail via Tunable Radiation Pressure
Author(s) -
Ma Dakang,
Murray Joseph,
Munday Jeremy N.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced optical materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 91
ISSN - 2195-1071
DOI - 10.1002/adom.201600668
Subject(s) - solar sail , radiation pressure , propulsion , aerospace engineering , spacecraft , spacecraft propulsion , propellant , materials science , radiation , photovoltaic system , astrobiology , optics , physics , electrical engineering , engineering
Switchable reflectivity enables tunable radiation pressure for spacecraft propulsion through the transfer of photon momentum. Solar sails offer a propellant‐free alternative for deep space travel; however, they are limited in maneuverability. This new electrically controllable device enables a solar sail to be steered by changing the photon pressure at different parts of the sail.