Development of a reflectivity controlanddirection device (rcdd) isproposed.thisinnovative devicewill progressthe stateof the art for propulsion of solar sails usedto fly space weather…

Development of a reflectivity controlanddirection device (rcdd) isproposed.thisinnovative devicewill progressthe stateof the art for propulsion of solar sails usedto fly space weather monitoringsensors for earlier warning times of destructive space weather events.a reflectivity control device (RCD) utilizes polymer dispersed liquidcrystal (pdlc) material encapsulated between thinlayers of clear polyimidefilm to create a material that can switch between opaque and transparent by applying an electrical voltage across thematerial. This RCD will be integrated with a flexible membrane diffraction grating that will change thedirection of the incident light transmitted through the RCD. With this innovation, the device becomes an rcdd with the ability to produce forces on the sail in the sail out-of-plane and in-plane directions. This ability to produce in-plane and out-of-plane force means that the device can be used to support full six-degree-of-freedom(6DOF) control of the spacecraftcompared tothercd which has no roll control authority. This innovation will eliminate the need for heavy and complex opto-mechanical devices currently used FOR6DOF sailcraft control. The resulting lighter weight of the sailcraft will allow for improved warning time for adverse space weather events.