Bi-Fold Fan DragSail with Surface Area Modulation Capability

A new passive reentry system is proposed for deorbiting spacecraft from low earth orbit (LEO).nbsp; The proposed DragSail system is based upon a restowable and redeployable concept that allows for increase or decrease of surface area thus modulating aerodynamic drag of the system.nbsp; Modulation of the drag will allow the system to guide small spacecraft to specific locations at the Von Karman altitude, which is necessary for precision reentry targeting.nbsp; The primary objective of this DragSail design is to deorbit small spacecraft from LEO altitudes in 25 years or less using a modular DragSail system with minimal weight and stowage volume.nbsp; The proposed DragSail system is based on NeXolve-developed lightweight solar sail and deployment system technologies.nbsp; The concept design consists of ultralightweight polyimide thin-film material that is attached to a deployable boom structure to create a flexible DragSail system with shape morphing capability.nbsp; A key feature of this DragSail system is its ability to deploy as a 2-D structure and then shape morph into a 3-D structure that allows drag in all orbital orientations.nbsp; Another attractive feature of the design is that the system is a self-contained unit that can be attached to many different types of CubeSats and small satellites.The DragSail system proposed herein is a scalable system that will allow CubeSats and small satellites up to 200 kg to deorbit from altitudes between approximately 700-1100 km in 25 years or less with the potential for similar results up to 2,000 km.nbsp; This innovative restowable, redeployable 3-D shape morphing membrane system is capable of increasing cross-sectional area impinging in all positions along an orbital path.nbsp; Partial deployment or partial morphing will enable changes in orbital decay rates allowing for collision avoidance as well as targeted atmospheric re-entry.nbsp; This 3D shape morphing capability is a significant advantage over flat (2-D) constructions.nbsp;