Matteo CeriottiJust published on #AIAA #JGCD, Zitong Lin's first journal article:
"Displaced Solar Sail Orbits Around Asteroids with Free Angular Velocity"
The 7th International Symposium on Space Sailing #ISSS2025 is in full swing at #TUDelft #Netherland and #UofG's #Space and Exploration Technology (SET) group is well represented!
Hacker NewsFeasibility study of a mission to Sedna -- Nuclear propulsion and solar sailing
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.17732
#HackerNews #FeasibilityStudy #Sedna #Mission #NuclearPropulsion #SolarSailing #SpaceExploration
Feasibility study of a mission to Sedna -- Nuclear propulsion and advanced solar sailing concepts
Exploring the outer reaches of the Solar System presents significant propulsion and mission design challenges. This study assesses the feasibility of a mission to Sedna using two advanced propulsion concepts: the Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) rocket engine, based on D-$^{3}$He thermonuclear fusion, and a solar sail utilizing thermal desorption of its coating for propulsion. Both are evaluated for a one-way Earth-to-Sedna mission; however, due to the different performances the DFD would enable orbit insertion, whereas for the solar sail a flyby is envisioned. The analysis evaluates key mission parameters, including delivered payload capacity, travel time, and potential science return. For the DFD, we assume a 1.6 MW system with constant thrust and specific impulse, while for the solar sail, we consider acceleration via thermal desorption and a gravity-assist maneuver around Jupiter. The mission analysis incorporates four key phases: departure, interplanetary acceleration, interplanetary coasting, and rendezvous. Sedna is expected to pass through the perihelion of its orbit in 2075--2076 and then move again away from the Sun. Considering the distances involved, a mission targeting the object would need to be launched "relatively" soon, especially if using conventional propulsion systems, which could require up to 30 years of deep-space travel. In our study, results indicate that the DFD could reach Sedna in approximately 10 years, with 1.5 years of thrusting, while the solar sail, assisted by Jupiter's gravity, could complete the journey in 7 years. The feasibility of science payload accommodation, power availability, and communication constraints is also considered. These findings provide a comparative foundation for future deep-space mission planning.
Ansgar Schmidt 
NASA’s New Solar Sail Has Launched and Deployed https://www.universetoday.com/166759/nasas-new-solar-sail-has-launched-and-deployed/ #advancedcompositesolarsailsystem #rocketpropulsion #solarsailing #solarsail #rockets #ikaros #nasa
NASA's New Solar Sail Has Launched and Deployed
Solar Sails are an enigmatic and majestic way to travel across the gulf of space. Drawing an analogy to the sail ships of the past, they are one of the most efficient ways of propelling craft in space. On Tuesday a RocketLab Electron rocket launched NASA’s new Advanced Composite Solar Sail System. It aims to … Continue reading "NASA’s New Solar Sail Has Launched and Deployed"
Call for Nominations: Advisory Committee Members for the International Symposium on Space Sailing (ISSS)
#space #SolarSailing
#space #SolarSailing
Matteo CeriottiGiving a talk on #SolarSailing at the Airdrie Astronomical Association tonight, come along if in the area!
https://www.airdrieobservatory.com/
https://www.airdrieobservatory.com/
KennySolar Sailing
"And so it's goodbye shiny material, and hello superconductor. A cable just a few meters long could, in theory, produce a field wide enough to deflect the Sun's charged wind on the scale of tens to hundreds of kilometers."
https://www.sciencealert.com/dynamic-soaring-trick-could-speed-spacecraft-across-interstellar-space
