Optimal Interplanetary Transfer of Solar Wind Ion Focusing Thruster-Based Spacecraft

Abstract

The Solar Wind Ion Focusing Thruster (SWIFT) is a highly-innovative propellantless propulsion concept, recently proposed by Gemmer and Mazzoleni. In its nominal configuration, a SWIFT consists of a conically-shaped mesh of positively-charged conducting tethers, with its vertex linked to the spacecraft and its axis oriented towards the Sun. The SWIFT collects and filters the solar wind plasma and suitably directs the positive ions, which are then accelerated by an ion thruster. Such a device is theoretically able to generate a deep-space propulsive acceleration that comes, in part, from the solar wind dynamic pressure impinging on the conical grid and, in part, from the positive ion beam. In particular, the orientation of the ion beam may be chosen in such a way as to set the resultant propulsive acceleration and steer the spacecraft. The aim of this paper is to analyze the performance of a SWIFT-propelled spacecraft in an orbit-to-orbit two-dimensional interplanetary transfer. To that end, some mission scenarios are studied, in an optimal framework, by minimizing the total flight time necessary for the spacecraft to complete the transfer as a function of the propulsion system performance parameters. Numerical simulations are used to compare the optimal flight times calculated in simplified Earth–Venus and Earth–Mars transfers with those obtained by considering other propellantless propulsion systems.