STATITE - A SPACECRAFT THAT DOES NOT ORBIT

This paper describes a proposed new type of space vehicle, the statite - a spacecraft that does not orbit. The statite would use a solar sail propulsion system to maintain itself in a desired nonorbiting static equilibrium position adjacent to the Earth by balancing light pressure force against gravitational force. In most versions of the system, the statite would be offset from the polar axis toward the dark side of the Earth where it would be continuously viewable from either the northern or southern hemisphere. The statite would stay fixed at a point above the dark side while the Earth rotated beneath it. To a viewer on the Earth, the statite would revolve about the pole once every 24-h solar day. The typical distance of a statite from the center of the Earth would be 30-250 Earth radii. The round-trip radio delay time for 100 Earth radii is 4.2 s, making the statite more suitable for broadcast, data, FAX, and weather services than for two-way telephone conversations.