The Satellite Sail

Abstract

It is proposed to suspend an airfoil from the Space Shuttle by a long tether into the upper atmosphere to provide a horizontal force on the Shuttle, thereby changing its orbital plane most efficiently. The airfoil would need high-temperature skin and tether, and remotely controlled flaps to adjust its angle of attack. The airfoil could also be used as a hypersonic facility to measure aerodynamic characteristics at extreme altitudes and velocities. This use would require a vertical lift force to counteract the drag force and prevent the Shuttle orbit from decaying too rapidly during the aerodynamic measurements.