Patric Seefeldt

Gossamer Roadmap Technology Reference Study for a Multiple NEO Rendezvous Mission

A technology reference study for a multiple near-Earth object (NEO) rendezvous mission with solar sailcraft is currently carried out by the authors of this paper. The investigated mission builds on previous concepts, but adopts a strong micro-spacecraft philosophy based on the DLR/ESA Gossamer technology. The main scientific objective of the mission is to explore the diversity of NEOs. After direct interplanetary insertion, the solar sailcraft should—within less than 10 years—rendezvous three NEOs that are not only scientifically interesting, but also from the point of human spaceight and planetary defense. In this paper, the objectives of the study are outlined and a preliminary potential mission profile is presented.

The Design and Test of the GOSSAMER-1 Boom Deployment Mechanisms Engineering Model

The main focus of this paper is the detailed introduction of the oom deployment concept implemented for the German eployable membrane technology demonstrator Gossamer-1. The technology aims for solar sailing, thin-film photovoltaic and drag augmentation as possible use cases. Therefore, the main functional and geometrical requirements for the mechanisms are derived from the mission design and the global sail deployment concept which are both introduced in detail. The regarding mechanism design is explained on concept level and illustrated with evaluating tests of the engineering model. Finally, an outlook on the future of the project, including the current design status of the engineering qualification model, is given.

The Preliminary Design of the GOSSAMER-1 Solar Sail Membrane and Manufacturing Strategies

The aim of the GOSSAMER-1 mission is an in-orbit deployment of versatile ultra-lightweight deployable sail hardware as a feasibility demonstration. The presented work focuses on the design and manufacturing of the sail membrane for GOSSAMER-1. The work has reached a preliminary design status which shall be presented in this paper. It includes mechanical analysis as well as a description of manufacturing strategies at the department of System Conditioning at the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen.