Preliminary Investigation on Carbon Nanotube Membranes for Photon Solar Sails
From The Space Library
Author - G. Vulpetti et al
Co-Author(s) - G. Vulpetti; S. Santoli; G. Mocci
JBIS Volume # - 61
Page # - 284-289
Year - 2008
Keywords - Carbon nanotube membranes, monolayer solar sails
JBIS Reference Code # - 2008.61.284
Number of Pages - 6
[edit] Abstract
This paper is sail-material oriented. Starting from what the sailcraft trajectory equation allows and adding requirements coming from the deep-space telecommunication between sailcraft and ground stations on the Earth (or the Moon), a pathfinder for new materials has been emphasized. Such investigation is not based on some unknown (though desirable) materials, but starts from the latest achievements in the so-called Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Technology. Today, this research in nanotechnology regards materials for future electronics, but one should fairly get materials with characteristic very appropri- ate to ultra-high performance solar-sail propulsion and, at the same time, mitigating problems in deep-space communication between sailcraft and Earth. Sailcraft sail loading stemming from such new materials is carried out.
To BUY this paper click here
JBIS is © 1934-2013 British Interplanetary Society - 
