Design of Optimal Cyclers Using Solar Sails

Ongoing interest in establishing a base on Mars has spurred a need for regular and repeated visits to the red planet using a cycling shuttle to transport supplies, equipment and to retrieve surface samples. This thesis presents an approach to designing an optimal heliocentric cycling orbit, or cycler, using solar sails. Results show that solar sails can be used to significantly reduce V infinity s at Mars and Earth.Naval Postgraduate School Monterey CA is the author of 'Design of Optimal Cyclers Using Solar Sails' with ISBN 9781423505990 and ISBN 1423505999.