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Electric sail propulsion technology
Start date:2010-12-01
End date:2013-11-30
Project Acronym:ESAIL
Project status:Execution
Coordinator
| Organization name:ILMATIETEEN LAITOS | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Pekka |
Erik Palmenin aukio HELSINKI SUOMI/FINLAND Region:MANNER-SUOMI UUSIMAA |
| Tel:+358-9-19294635 | |
| Fax:+358-9-19294603 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.fmi.fi | Organization Type: |
Description
Objective:
The Electric Solar Wind Sail (E-sail) is a recent invention of ultra-efficient non-propellant in-space propulsion technology. It uses the solar wind charged ions as natural source for producing spacecraft thrust. The E-sail is composed of a set of long, thin, conducting and positively charged tethers which are centrifugally stretched from the main spacecraft and kept electrically charged by an onboard electron gun powered by solar panels. The E-sail concept is an enabling technology for reducing significantly the time, cost and mass required for spacecraft to reach their destinations. It has been estimated that it has the potential to improve the state of the art of propulsion systems by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude if using the lifetime integrated total impulse versus propulsion system mass as the figure of merit.
Furthermore, the E-sail propulsion technology is truly a green no-propellant method reducing significantly the mission launch masses and the amount of chemical propellant burnt in the atmosphere. As an electromechanical device it does not need any poisonous, explosive or radioactive substances or dangerous construction procedures. In the proposed project, we develop the key E-sail technologies (tethers, tether reels, spin-up and guidance/control method based on gas and FEEP thrusters) to prototype level. The goal is that after the project, the decision to build and fly the first E-sail demonstration mission in the solar wind can be made. As a secondary technological goal, the project will raise the FEEP and gas thruster readiness level for general-purpose satellite attitude control purposes.
Achievements:
General information:
Project Details
Start date:2010-12-01
End date:2013-11-30
Duration:36 months
Project Reference:262733
Project cost:2413184 EURO
Project Funding:1747393 EURO
Programme Acronym:
FP7-SPACE
Programme type:Seventh Framework Programme
Subprogramme Area:Space transportation for space exploration, Security of space assets from space weather events
Contract type:Collaborative project (generic)
URL:http://www.electric-sailing.fi/fp7/
Subject index:Transport, Space & satellite research, Security
Results for this Project
| Periodic Report Summary - ESAIL (Electric sail propulsion technology) | 11/06/2012 |
| Periodic Report Summary 2 - ESAIL (Electric sail propulsion technology) | 12/10/2012 |
Other participants
| Organization name:HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Satu |
YLIOPISTONKATU HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO SUOMI/FINLAND Region: |
| Tel:+358-919150613 | |
| Fax:+358-919151080 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.helsinki.fi/university/ | Organization Type: |
| Organization name:JYVASKYLAN YLIOPISTO | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Jukka |
SEMINAARINKATU PL 35 JYVASKYLA SUOMI/FINLAND Region: |
| Tel:+358-142602373 | |
| Fax:+358-142602351 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.jyu.fi | Organization Type: |
| Organization name:ALTA SPA | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Francesca |
Via Allessandro Gherardesca 5 PISA ITALIA Region:CENTRO (I) TOSCANA Pisa |
| Tel:+39-050-967211 | |
| Fax:+39-050-974094 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.alta-space.com | Organization Type: |
| Organization name:DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUER LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Karim |
Linder Hoehe KOELN DEUTSCHLAND Region:NORDRHEIN-WESTFALEN KÖLN Köln, Kreisfreie Stadt |
| Tel:+49-42124420169 | |
| Fax:+49-42124420120 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.dlr.de | Organization Type: |
| Organization name:UNIVERSITA DI PISA | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Giovanni |
Lungarno Pacinotti PISA ITALIA Region:CENTRO (I) TOSCANA Pisa |
| Tel:+39-0502217258 | |
| Fax:+39-0502217244 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.unipi.it | Organization Type: |
| Organization name:NANOSPACE AB | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Pelle |
SOLNA STRANDVAG 4207 SOLNA SVERIGE Region:SVERIGE STOCKHOLM |
| Tel:+46-707773244 | |
| Fax:+46-18551301 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.nanospace.se | Organization Type: |
| Organization name:TARTU OBSERVATORY -ESTONIAN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Mart |
Toravere TARTU MAAKOND EESTI Region: |
| Tel:+372-5139159 | |
| Fax:+372-7410205 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.aai.ee | Organization Type: |
| Organization name:UPPSALA UNIVERSITET | |
| Administrative contact | Address |
|
Name:Greger |
St Olofsgatan Box 256 UPPSALA SVERIGE Region:SVERIGE ÖSTRA MELLANSVERIGE Uppsala län |
| Tel:+46-184717126 | |
| Fax:+46-184713572 | |
| E-mail:Contact | |
| URL:http://www.uu.se | Organization Type: |
Record control number:97203
