EU MSCA Doctoral Network E-Sailors

The Electric solar wind Sail doctors (E-Sailors) is a challenge-based Doctoral Network that aims to bring Electric solar wind sail (E-sail) from low Earth orbit (LEO) demonstration missions to the operational environment of the solar wind. It is delivered by 8 universities in cooperation with FMI, where E-sail was invented, and 4 SMEs, including Nanocraft.

E-sail is a highly innovative and potentially disruptive propellantless propulsion system. An operational E-sail consists of hair-thin and kilometres-long wires, or tethers, which are charged at a high voltage creating an electrostatic sheath (electric sail) which deflects solar wind particles and generates the propulsive effect in interplanetary environment. Successful and rapid development and deployment of the technology will ensure EU's leadership in the exploration and exploitation of deep space, the next commercial space frontier. To advance E-sail, we will implement 15 PhD projects to:

1) Develop mission and experiment designs for demonstrating the E-sail in solar wind and for utilizing the E-sail for visiting small Solar System bodies and potential interstellar objects; 2) Design state-of-the-art solar wind propulsion systems and their components; 3) Design nanospacecraft (~15 kg) platform and subsystems for control, navigation, communications and operations; 4) Establish an open source research community for E-sail modelling and mission design software.

In doing the above, we will achieve the following training objectives for our doctoral candidates: 1) Equip them with core scientific skills and specialised knowledge in designing experiments for demonstrating space technologies and developing space missions; 2) Provide them with a wide range of transferrable skills, such as Open Science and FAIR, communicating science to public, advocacy, networking etc.; 3) Develop their business and entrepreneurship skills, such as IPR management, preliminary business planning, pitching to investors, starting start-ups.

Image credit: Space Travel Blog / ESTCube / UT Tartu Observatory / Mario F. Palos, Anna Maskava & Rute Marta Jansone.