Solar sail propellant-free transfer maneuvers between libration point orbits around the collinear equilibrium points

This paper investigates propellant-free transfers between lissajous libration point orbits using solar sailing. The dynamical model used is the 3-dimensional Sun-Earth restricted three-body problem, including solar radiation pressure (SRP) and the maneuvres under consideration are controlled by the change in the spacecraft reflectivity or by changing the attidude of the sail with respect to the Sun. The study is based on a careful analysis of the geometry of the phase space of the linearised equations around the equilibrium points and, as a matter of fact contrary to the classical impulsive maneuvers, in the geometrical approach, solar sail maneuvers in the libration zone can be understood as jumps in position instead of in velocity.