Solar Sail Propulsion by 2050: An Enabling Capability for Heliophysics Missions

TL;DR

This paper discusses the potential of solar sail propulsion by 2050 to enable a variety of heliophysics missions, leveraging recent technological advancements and demonstration missions to expand observational capabilities.

Contribution

It highlights the readiness of solar sail technology for near-term science missions and explores its future applications in heliophysics research.

Findings

Solar sails enable unique vantage points for solar observation.

Recent demonstration missions have advanced solar sail technology.

Solar sails are poised to support diverse heliophysics missions by 2050.

Abstract

Solar sails enable missions to observe the solar environment from unique vantage points, such as sustained observations away from the Sun-Earth line; sub-L1 station keeping; high inclination solar orbits; Earth polar-sitting and polar-viewing observatories; fast transit missions to study heliosphere to interstellar medium transition, as well as missions of interest across a broad user community. Recent and planned demonstration missions make this technology ready for use on near-term science missions.