Interplanetary Cubesat Solar Sail

Studying CubeSats for space science missions has increased significantly in recent years. The use of a CubeSat will provide a spacecraft which is lighter, mechanically simpler, and with a fraction of the cost of a traditional space mission. Cal Poly Pomona Interplanetary CubeSat Solar Sail Mission (IPCS3M) is a multi-year research project studying the use of solar radiation pressure on a sail as an alternative method of propulsion for interplanetary CubeSat missions. With a Mylar sail, the 6U CubeSat will travel to Ceres with the intended goal of mapping this body through hovering. Ceres is an ideal target for a CubeSat solar sail as the distance provides an opportunity to test the viability of solar sails while also pushing the current technology of CubeSat components. Additionally, the solar sail will give the spacecraft a free continuous thrust, increasing velocity throughout the mission timeline provided by the solar radiation pressure. Computer Aided Design (CAD) modeling was used to construct the spacecraft and verify space and mass distributions. Finite Element Analysis was performed for structural studies with the intent of proving that the sail and booms do not deform critically due to solar radiation pressure. In addition to computer model tests, physical tests have also been performed to research material properties, light reflectance, and boom creation.