Coastal navigation by a solar sail

Abstract

In this paper, we study relative motions of a light spacecraft equipped with a solar sail and tethered somehow to a heavy heliocentric orbital space station. One can say that such spacecraft realizes a kind of a coastal navigation. Formulating a model problem of the spacecraft motion, we state that if the sail can be oriented arbitrary then motions along a rectilinear tether are possible in both directions. Also, we present algorithm of the spacecraft relocation if it is joined with the station by a tether. This algorithm is based on the motion equations solutions that can be interpreted as perturbed motions of a simple pendulum.