Solar Sail and Plasma Kites
Scientists on one type of solar kite take pride that there will be a minimum of moving parts to control the movement of the solar kite through space and around the earth, moon, comet, or other solar system body. ESA CONTRACT 17679/03/NL/SFe Solar Kite Mission Feasibility Study EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Authors: C. Jack and C. Welch A collection of scientists and engineers are expanding the definition of what is a kite; the solar kite described by authors C. Jack and C. Welch has the inertia of the mass of the kite providing resistance against photonic flow; also, the controlling of the kite to alter the kite's acceleration sets up a kiting scenario: cause the kite to deflect away from the pull of gravity to keep the kite flying intended path supports the inclusion of the solar sail as a kite in photonic flow. The kite is fed start data; the kite tracks the stars and operates three elements to control its attitude to effect its deflections to result in the flight path desired by the ground-directing kite operators. The position of the payload is changed to alter the relative positions of the kite's center of pressure and center of mass; this is done in part by piezoelectric actuators. Also, the struts that hold the centered payload are differentially heated; such causes one of the struts to become longer than the cooler struts and thereby changing the center of mass relative to the center of pressure of the kite. Further, to cause an attitude change, tiny photo thrusters (heated wire) tweak the attitude of the kite; such thrusters do not propel the kite, but are only used to change the attitude of the kite's sail. These mechanisms aim to give authoritative control at minimum power use for giving direction to the kite. Working solar kite groups are considering at least seventeen means of control of the solar kite/solar sail. West Group. Solar sail designing including a list of control options.
Read more about this topic: Kite Control Systems
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