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K. T. Strong, D. Alexander (Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab.), C. R. McInnes (University of Glasgow), J. R. Lemen (Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab.)
Recently, there has been much interest in the use of solar sail technology for advanced space mission concepts. We present here some trajectories and orbits for a number of potential solar missions. These missions utilize the power of solar sails in a number of different ways, providing unique capabilities in the study of the Sun.
The first mission concept is a solar polar mission using a "parking orbit" above one of the solar poles, the second is a multi-spacecraft mission designed to map out the three-dimensional solar atmosphere using identical spacecraft at different heliographic latitudes, and the third is a STEREO slowdown mission designed to extend the lifetime of the STEREO mission using small sails attached to the STEREO payloads to slow down the rate of drift ahead and behind the Earth.
Here, the first two payloads are assumed to be inert masses with possible instrument and spacecraft packages to be defined by the specific goals of any mission.
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