Characterization of e-sails: a novel propulsive concept that exploits the solar wind to propel larger spacecraft for interplanetary travel

Pekka Janhunen of the Finnish Meteorological Institute first proposed the concept of electric sails in 2006, which utilize the solar wind dynamic pressure to generate a small, yet continuous thrust by interacting with an electric field generated from charged tethers. This technology could be a competitive propulsion system for future missions, and NASA’s Marshall Space Center has provided funding for a Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II project to model the thruster performance of an E-sail spacecraft. This work will include a test campaign to validate parallel 3D Particle-In-Cell (PIC) codes with improved boundary conditions. This dissertation entails the experimental test campaign needed to validate the parallel 3D Particle-In- Cell (PIC) codes with improved boundary conditions. This campaign will be focused on characterizing the performances of a surrogate sail exposed to a high density, high velocity plasma stream simulating the solar wind, exploiting novel plasma accelerators. To better estimate the power consumption required for keeping the tethers at high potential the current discharge will be investigated. The current collection is as well tested, aiming to explore the capability for the e-sails to act as an alternative source of electric energy for interplanetary spaceflight. Estimating the momentum poses challenges, in particular devising a thrust measurement technique that allows for high sensitivity. Upon successful completion of the Phase II effort, the validated PIC-based approaches will be used to examine the controllability and optimization of E-sail spacecraft, including its size and layout, as well as adapting it to the changing plasma environment for in-space operations.