Torquing and electrostatic deformation of the solar sail

The impact of natural sources of electrical-mechanical oscillations induced by the environment on the solar sail system is evaluated. The study indicates that, to the level of accuracy (first order) of the analysis, none of the natural sources studied, which range from plasma wave interactions to E x B forces, will have a significant impact on the proposed solar sail design. The study is not intended as an exhaustive analysis, and further analysis, particularly in the area of artificially induced oscillations, is needed.