Local Maneuvering
Thinsat displacement acceleration is approximately 10 microns per second squared. Displacement distance without stopping (avoiding a collider, for example) is 5 t2 microns (t in seconds). Moving and stopping is slower, 2.5 t2 microns. We can control the electrochromic thrusters in small increments, and within fractions of a second, so our maneuvering accuracy can be a few nanometers, much better than our measurement accuracy.
time |
avoidance |
move and stop |
|
1 second |
5 um |
2.5 um |
|
1 minute |
18 mm |
9 mm |
|
2.5 minutes |
11 cm |
6 cm |
avoid < 1cm collider |
5 minutes |
45 cm |
22 cm |
|
20 minutes |
7 m |
4 m |
avoid satellite |
1 hour |
65 m |
32 m |
avoid ISS scale object |
6 hours |
|
1160 m |
traverse large array |
|
|
|
|
1 day |
|
19 km |
degrees of orbit |
3 days |
|
168 km |
0.75 |
1 week |
|
914 km |
4.1 |
30 days |
|
16800 km |
75 |
47 days |
|
40000 km |
184 |
The M288 orbit is 12789 km radius, 80356 km circumference, 223.2 km per degree.
If the wavelength is 8mm and the ground antenna is 1 meter across, the aperture is about 0.5 degrees. So, in less than 3 days, a thinsat can move from one aperture to the next, "moving between data centers". in 20 months it can move anywhere in the m288 orbit. If it tilts and reduces light pressure, it can move faster, tilting back to full sunlight for position checks. This is not spectacular speed, but it is better than most satellites can manage.