An Overview of Solar Sail Related Activities at JAXA

Abstract

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) made world’s first Solar Sail mission, Ikaros in 2010 successfully. This mission was performed as a precursor and technology verification mission toward our goal of having Solar Power Sail mission to Trojan asteroids rendezvous. This paper overviews what Ikaros demonstrated and presents the future mission currently studied at JAXA. It includes some introduction on technology development programs.