The Gossamer Initiative

Author

Chmielewski, Artur B. ; Moore, Chris ; Howard, Rick

Author_Institution

Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA

Volume

7

fYear

2000

fDate

2000

Firstpage

429

Abstract

The Gossamer Spacecraft Initiative is a new NASA program to begin long-range development of enabling technologies for very large, ultra-lightweight structures and apertures. Large apertures include optical, infrared and submillimeter telescopes, “photon buckets” for optical communications and “non-coherent” imaging, solar concentrators, and radio frequency antennas. Developments in large ultra-light structures will be focused on one of their most challenging applications-solar sails. Sail structures will include both 3-axis stabilized and spinning. Gossamer spacecraft technology will eventually allow NASA to undertake bold new missions of discovery, such as searching for the signs of life on planets orbiting nearby stars, and sailing through space on beams of light to places beyond our solar system

Keywords

astronomical telescopes; solar absorber-convertors; space vehicles; Gossamer Spacecraft Initiative; NASA program; enabling technologies; large apertures; non-coherent imaging; optical communications; photon buckets; radio frequency antennas; solar concentrators; solar sails; spacecraft technology; telescopes; three-axis spinning structures; three-axis stabilized structures; ultra-lightweight structures; Aperture antennas; Infrared imaging; NASA; Optical fiber communication; Optical imaging; Radio frequency; Space technology; Space vehicles; Spinning; Telescopes;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Aerospace Conference Proceedings, 2000 IEEE

Conference_Location

Big Sky, MT

ISSN

1095-323X

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5846-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/AERO.2000.879310

Filename

879310