Helia / BEXUS / ESA

Helia Top-Side Solar Explorer

A fast 2D cross-section for the top of Helia, with low-elevation sun rays, the round glass opening, and an external mirror placed above the lid.

Mission Brief

This version focuses on the upper part of the canister so you can study whether an outside reflector can redirect shallow October sun into the cells below the top window.

Flight Display

Window Intercept / Mirror Alignment

Low Sun Double Window 2D Slice

Ray States

Miss / blocked Direct hit Before reflection Reflected hit

Analyst Notes

Move the outside mirror above the lid and tune its angle to see whether shallow rays can be redirected through the double window.

Assumptions: 2D top-side slice, flat specular mirror, parallel solar rays, two fused-silica sheets with an air gap, Snell refraction, Fresnel transmission losses, no secondary reflected ghost rays, and opaque cylinder walls and lid.

Mirror Rotation Study

A simplified 3D ring built from the current single-mirror template. Helia rotates about its cylinder axis while the mirror ring stays symmetric and equally spaced.

Isometric View

3/4 perspective showing the canister body, lid, mirrors, and cross-section ray paths from the current sun angle.