Heliogyro Solar Sail

The heliogyro solar sail is a spacecraft that utilizes reflect solar pressure as its only means of propulsion and attitude control. The continuous force generated by photons striking the windmill-like sail is sufficient to boost the craft out of Earth's gravity well, and, eventually, out of the solar system.

The heliogyro employs sail control akin to a helicopter. A number of solar reflecting blades attach to a central spacecraft bus. Each blade is constructed from aluminized, ultrathin polyimide film. During operation, centripetal tension and chordwise battens provide stiffness and embedded Kevlar ripstops resist tearing. The satellite uses collective and cyclic pitch of the blades to control attitude and thrust, and an onboard autonomous GNC system to generate short-term trajectory-following command sequences.

Solar sailing is a revolutionary concept whose time has come. As the limits of chemical propulsion are realized, solar sailing is increasingly becoming an option for extending mankind's reach into space.

The promise of solar sailing is in the continuous propulsion derived from natural solar pressure. Although the pressure from the Sun is less than the pressure from a piece of paper on an open hand, its presistent push imparts an accumulated thrust greater than rocket propulsion can provide.