Extrasolar space exploration by a torus-shaped solar sail accelerated via thermal desorption of coating

We consider a deployment and dynamics of a torus-shaped sail, which can be unfurled using an inflatable torus-shaped rim structure. The torus-shaped sail consists of a thin reflective membrane attached to an inflatable torus-shaped rim. This structure possesses special properties such as low weight and minimal stowage volume that make them suitable for solar sails. The sail’s deployment from its stowed configuration is initiated by introducing inflation pressure into the toroidal rim with a round flat membrane coated by special heat-sensitive materials, which undergo thermal desorption (TD) at a specific temperature due to heating by solar radiation at a particular heliocentric distance [1]. The membrane is kept open and flat by the distribution of the dynamic pressure of the gas in the toroidal rim. The deployment and acceleration of the solar sail could be split into three steps: in the first step, at a particular heliocentric distance a torus-shaped solar sail is deployed by the gas inflated into the structure and the membrane is extended to a final flat shape; in the second step, the membrane coat undergoes TD as a result of heating by solar radiation and the inflation deployed torus-shaped solar sail is accelerated via TD of coating [2]; in the third step, when the TD process ends, the sail utilizes thrust from the Sun and escapes the Solar System through the conventional acceleration due to solar radiation pressure

[1] R. Ya. Kezerashvili, Acta Astronautica 117, 231–237 (2015).

[2] E. Ancona and R. Ya. Kezerashvili,.ASR 63 (2019).