Photon-Sail Trajectories Towards Exoplanet Proxima b

Photon-Sail Trajectories Towards Exoplanet Proxima b

Heiligers, M.J. (TU Delft Astrodynamics & Space Missions)
Rotmans, T.J. (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering)

Aerospace Engineering

2023

This paper investigates trajectories within the Alpha Centauri system to reach planet Proxima b. These trajectories come in the form of connections between the classical Lagrange points of Alpha-Centauri’s binary system (composed of the stars Alpha Centauri A and B, AC-A and AC-B) and the classical Lagrange points of the Alpha Centauri C (AC-C)/Proxima b system. These so-called heteroclinic connections are sought using a patched restricted three-body problem method. A genetic algorithm is applied to optimize the linkage conditions between the two three-body systems, focusing on minimizing the position, velocity, and time error at linkage. Four different futuristic, graphenebased sail configurations are used for the analyses: two sails with a reflective coating on only one side of the sail with lightness numbers equal to β = 100 and β = 1779, and two sails with a reflective coating on both sides (again, considering β = 100 and β = 1779). Results from the genetic algorithm show that, for example, a transfer from the L2-point in the AC-A/AC-B system to the L1-point in the AC-C/Proxima b system can be accomplished with a transfer time of 235 years for the one-sided graphene-based sail with β = 1779.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:63425b71-a307-4295-9ee5-b1b115a3c0b3

Proceedings of the International Symposium on Space Sailing

6th International Symposium on Space Sailing, 2023-06-05 → 2023-06-09, New York, United States

Institutional Repository

conference paper

© 2023 M.J. Heiligers, T.J. Rotmans