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1 year ago

Setting Sail to Travel Through Space: 5 Things to Know about our New Mission

Our Advanced Composite Solar Sail System will launch aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand no earlier than April 23, at 6 p.m. EDT. This mission will demonstrate the use of innovative materials and structures to deploy a next-generation solar sail from a CubeSat in low Earth orbit.

Here are five things to know about this upcoming mission:

1. Sailing on Sunshine

Solar sails use the pressure of sunlight for propulsion much like sailboats harness the wind, eliminating the need for rocket fuel after the spacecraft has launched. If all goes according to plan, this technology demonstration will help us test how the solar sail shape and design work in different orbits.

Color GIF from animation of NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System mission. The spacecraft is seen rotating above Earth in orbit, with its reflective solar sail unfurled. The solar sail has four silver triangular-shaped parts arranged in a diamond. In between the parts are small, thin cross-shaped pieces which are the booms connecting the sail. Credit: NASA/Ben Schweighart

2. Small Package, Big Impact

The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft is a CubeSat the size of a microwave, but when the package inside is fully unfurled, it will measure about 860 square feet (80 square meters) which is about the size of six parking spots. Once fully deployed, it will be the biggest, functional solar sail system – capable of controlled propulsion maneuvers – to be tested in space.

Setting Sail To Travel Through Space: 5 Things To Know About Our New Mission

3. Second NASA Solar Sail in Space

If successful, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System will be the second NASA solar sail to deploy in space, and not only will it be much larger, but this system will also test navigation capabilities to change the spacecraft’s orbit. This will help us gather data for future missions with even larger sails.

Color GIF from animation of NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System mission. The view is a close-up of two different angles from the perspective of the spacecraft above Earth. We see gears onboard turning as part of the system that deploys the tubular booms unfurling the silver sail material. Credit: NASA/Ben Schweighart

4. BOOM: Stronger, Lighter Booms

Just like a sailboat mast supports its cloth sails, a solar sail has support beams called booms that provide structure. The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System mission’s primary objective is to deploy a new type of boom. These booms are made from flexible polymer and carbon fiber materials that are stiffer and 75% lighter than previous boom designs. They can also be flattened and rolled like a tape measure. Two booms spanning the diagonal of the square (23 feet or about 7 meters in length) could be rolled up and fit into the palm of your hand!

Color GIF from animation of NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System mission. First, we see the full system sailing above Earth with its four silver triangular sail segments forming a diamond shape. In between the parts are small, thin cross-shaped pieces which are the booms connecting the sail. The Sun is seen distantly in the background. The second view shows the solar sail system sailing away into deep space. Credit: NASA/Ben Schweighart

5. It’s a bird...it’s a plane...it’s our solar sail!

About one to two months after launch, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft will deploy its booms and unfurl its solar sail. Because of its large size and reflective material, the spacecraft may be visible from Earth with the naked eye if the lighting conditions and orientation are just right!

To learn more about this mission that will inform future space travel and expand our understanding of our Sun and solar system, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission/acs3/.

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