Could JWST stay at L2 “forever”?
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Using only reaction wheels powered by solar panel and the sunshield as a sail to generate thrust from solar photon pressure, could JWST stay in its orbit around L2 "forever" (theoretically at least)?
In this case it couldn't fulfill it's main objective, which is to be a space telescope pointing at distant objects for long exposure time. But this is a hypothetical question asking about its orbital dynamics.
Anyway, could this be a practical way to set JWST on "pause" for say 2 years, without burning fuel/ejecting mass to keep its orbit around L2?
lagrangian-points station-keeping james-webb-telescope
edited 53 mins ago
uhoh
40.5k18151514
asked 1 hour ago
qq jkztdqq jkztd
893314
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Using only reaction wheels powered by solar panel and the sunshield as a sail to generate thrust from solar photon pressure, could JWST stay in its orbit around L2 "forever" (theoretically at least)?
In this case it couldn't fulfill it's main objective, which is to be a space telescope pointing at distant objects for long exposure time. But this is a hypothetical question asking about its orbital dynamics.
Anyway, could this be a practical way to set JWST on "pause" for say 2 years, without burning fuel/ejecting mass to keep its orbit around L2?
lagrangian-points station-keeping james-webb-telescope
edited 53 mins ago
uhoh
40.5k18151514
asked 1 hour ago
qq jkztdqq jkztd
893314
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
51 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Using only reaction wheels powered by solar panel and the sunshield as a sail to generate thrust from solar photon pressure, could JWST stay in its orbit around L2 "forever" (theoretically at least)?
In this case it couldn't fulfill it's main objective, which is to be a space telescope pointing at distant objects for long exposure time. But this is a hypothetical question asking about its orbital dynamics.
Anyway, could this be a practical way to set JWST on "pause" for say 2 years, without burning fuel/ejecting mass to keep its orbit around L2?
lagrangian-points station-keeping james-webb-telescope
edited 53 mins ago
uhoh
40.5k18151514
asked 1 hour ago
qq jkztdqq jkztd
893314
$endgroup$
Using only reaction wheels powered by solar panel and the sunshield as a sail to generate thrust from solar photon pressure, could JWST stay in its orbit around L2 "forever" (theoretically at least)?
In this case it couldn't fulfill it's main objective, which is to be a space telescope pointing at distant objects for long exposure time. But this is a hypothetical question asking about its orbital dynamics.
Anyway, could this be a practical way to set JWST on "pause" for say 2 years, without burning fuel/ejecting mass to keep its orbit around L2?
lagrangian-points station-keeping james-webb-telescope
lagrangian-points station-keeping james-webb-telescope
edited 53 mins ago
uhoh
40.5k18151514
asked 1 hour ago
qq jkztdqq jkztd
893314
edited 53 mins ago
uhoh
40.5k18151514
asked 1 hour ago
qq jkztdqq jkztd
893314
edited 53 mins ago
uhoh
40.5k18151514
edited 53 mins ago
uhoh
40.5k18151514
edited 53 mins ago
uhoh
40.5k18151514
40.5k18151514
asked 1 hour ago
qq jkztdqq jkztd
893314
asked 1 hour ago
qq jkztdqq jkztd
893314
asked 1 hour ago
qq jkztdqq jkztd
893314
893314
1
$begingroup$
Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
51 mins ago
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
51 mins ago
1
1
$begingroup$
Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
51 mins ago
$begingroup$
Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
51 mins ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
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$begingroup$
According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.
So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.
answered 43 mins ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦PearsonArtPhoto
84.4k16243465
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).
JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.
I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.
answered 18 mins ago
Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe
56129
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add a comment |
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2 Answers
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$begingroup$
According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.
So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.
answered 43 mins ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦PearsonArtPhoto
84.4k16243465
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.
So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.
answered 43 mins ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦PearsonArtPhoto
84.4k16243465
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.
So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.
answered 43 mins ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦PearsonArtPhoto
84.4k16243465
$endgroup$
According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.
So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.
answered 43 mins ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦PearsonArtPhoto
84.4k16243465
answered 43 mins ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦PearsonArtPhoto
84.4k16243465
answered 43 mins ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦PearsonArtPhoto
84.4k16243465
answered 43 mins ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦PearsonArtPhoto
84.4k16243465
84.4k16243465
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).
JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.
I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.
answered 18 mins ago
Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe
56129
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).
JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.
I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.
answered 18 mins ago
Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe
56129
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).
JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.
I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.
answered 18 mins ago
Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe
56129
$endgroup$
This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).
JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.
I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.
answered 18 mins ago
Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe
56129
answered 18 mins ago
Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe
56129
answered 18 mins ago
Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe
56129
answered 18 mins ago
Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe
56129
56129
add a comment |
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
51 mins ago