Discussion on Momentum Transfer Difficulty of a Magnetoplasma Sail

MINI-MAGNETOSPHERIC plasma propulsion (M2P2), also known as magnetoplasma sail (MPS), was proposed as a candidate for near-future space propulsion [1]. An MPS spacecraft is expected to capture the solar wind energy in interplanetary space by an artificial magnetosphere to generate a thrust force. A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of propulsion and power 2011-09, Vol.27 (5), p.1149-1153
Main Authors: Nishida, Hiroyuki, Funaki, Ikkoh, Inatani, Yoshifumi, Kusano, Kanya
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Inflation
Magnetic fields
Onboard
Plasma (physics)
Sails
Solar power generation
Spacecraft
Superconductivity
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Summary:MINI-MAGNETOSPHERIC plasma propulsion (M2P2), also known as magnetoplasma sail (MPS), was proposed as a candidate for near-future space propulsion [1]. An MPS spacecraft is expected to capture the solar wind energy in interplanetary space by an artificial magnetosphere to generate a thrust force. A significant feature of an MPS is the deployment of the magnetic field inflation in space for creating a large artificial magnetosphere. With this magnetic field inflation method, a small magnetosphere created by onboard superconducting coils can be inflated to a larger magnetosphere by injecting a plasma jet from an MPS spacecraft.
ISSN:0748-4658
1533-3876
DOI:10.2514/1.B34141