Electric Solar Wind Sail for Space Propulsion

摘要

The collaboration between the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Department of Physical Sciences of the University of Helsinki in Finland formed the Kumpula Space Centre. The centre has developed an electric solar wind sail technology and the device, which is to be integrated with a spacecraft to provide propulsion through the use of solar wind. Solar wind refers to a stream of charged particles such as plasma consisted mostly of high-energy electrons and protons, which is emitted from the sun.