Artificial Equilibrium Points for Electric Sail with Constant Attitude

The existence and stability of artificial equilibrium points (AEPs) for an electric solar wind sail (ESWS)-based spacecraft was investigated within an elliptical restricted three-body problem under the assumption of constant orientation of the ESWS nominal plane. The equilibrium points belong to the plane on which the two primaries move and consist of segments along which the spacecraft oscillates back and forth synchronously to the motion of the planet. The linear stability analysis for the sun [Earth+moon] system has shown the existence of stable regions of AEPs close to the classical equilibrium Lagrange points L1 and L4. The propulsive acceleration required to generate AEPs in the neighborhood of the L1 point in the sun [Earth+moon] system is compatible with the capabilities of a first-order generation ESWS propulsion system.