Tutorial: Building a solar sail spacecraft - bld/SolarSailNavigator GitHub Wiki

• After installing SolarSailNavigator, go to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).
• Select the “Pods” tab and add an RCS-001S Remote Guidance Unit.
• Select the “Engines” tab and add the part “Solar Sail MK2”. Stack it on top of the RCS-001S.
• From the “Structural” tab, select the “Octagonal Strut” and place on top of the solar sail to act as a mounting surface for back side components.
• Now, go to the “Utility” tab and select the “OX STAT Photovoltaic Panels.” Place one on the bottom of the RCS-001S Remote Guidance Unit. This will serve as primary power when the sail faces the sun.
• Select another PV panel. Place it on top of the Octagonal Strut. This will provide survival power in case the sail flips the back side to the sun.
• Select the same PV panel, click “Symmetry Mode” until you get 4X symmetry. Move your mouse to the outside edge of the RCS-001S. Hit “A” or “D” to rotate the 4 panels 90 degrees. Place them on the sides of the RCS-001S. These will provide power from sunlight coming from the side as the sail tilts relative to the sunlight.
• From the “Structural” tab, select the “TR-18D Stack Separator” and place on the bottom of the RCS-001S. Stack separators are nice because they don’t stay attached to the spacecraft after separation, which reduces the mass that the solar sail needs to haul.
• Add any other components you think are helpful, like antennas, sensors, landers, etc. The Mechanical Jeb (MechJeb plugin) is useful for reporting orbital elements and using the “Warp Helper” to time warp for a specified duration.
• Give your sail a name and save it. You can put it on top of whatever rocket stack you like.

Finished solar sail spacecraft