Solar sail as propellant-less micropropulsion

The exploration of space tends to move on alternate and renewable energy with a limiting mission budget. Therefore, considerable attention has been paid to utilizing solar sail as propellant-less propulsion, which takes advantage of reflecting solar photons by large size membrane sail. This chapter describes the historical development of solar sailing technology, including its advantages and applications. A set of operating principles within the area of transfer trajectory, non-Keplerian orbit generation, altitude, and structural control dynamics is then presented, along with a description of performance measurement. A survey of the current status of the art in CubeSat solar sail and a summary of completed and planned missions, such as NanoSail and NEA Scout projects, are also discussed. Finally, ongoing challenges in orbital dynamics and material technologies are proposed, along with possible technology trends and innovative concepts to develop next-generation solar sailing missions.