Solar sails help spacecraft fly without fuel

NASA is testing a sail system that uses solar energy to propel spacecraft through space .

The world's most advanced solar sail spacecraft began its journey at 6:32 a.m. on April 24 when it took off on Rocket Lab's Electron booster from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. This is one of two blocks in the mission Beginning Of The Swarm . Although only the size of a microwave, NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) can unfurl the thin plastic sail in about 25 minutes and span 80m2 ^with a 7m-long extension pole. This isn't the first solar sail launched into space, but the ultra-lightweight polymer composite tensioning pole and its special configuration for stowage mark an important step toward making the system lighter and more stable. , according to Popular Science .

Simulate the ACS3 spacecraft moving in space. (Photo: NASA).

Currently located in a Sun-synchronous orbit 966m above Earth, ACS3 will deploy within the next few weeks and demonstrate technology that can power deep space missions without the use of rocket fuel. after launch. By collecting the pressure emitted by the Sun's energy, the thin sail can propel the spacecraft at extremely high speeds, similar to a sailboat. Engineers have proven the principle before, but NASA's new project will specifically test a promising design made from flexible polymer composite materials reinforced with carbon fiber.

Once deployed, the tensioning poles act as sailboat masts, keeping the sails taut enough to collect solar energy. What makes the ACS3 tension poles special is the way they fold compactly. The solar sail's tension pole system needs to be sturdy enough to withstand temperature fluctuations, as well as durable enough to survive an extended mission. However, a large-scale solar sail would be quite large. Currently, NASA is planning to design a sail larger than 500 square meters ^, equivalent to a basketball court. These sails require an extremely long extension pole system, which cannot fit in the rocket's cargo compartment.

To solve the problem, NASA rolls the stretch pole made from the new composite material into a large, envelope-sized package. When ready, engineers will use a pulling system similar to a tape roll to open the pole, helping to minimize the possibility of getting stuck. Once erected, the tensioning pole will hold the thin Solar sail while onboard cameras record the entire process.

NASA hopes the project will allow them to evaluate the new solar sail design while also measuring how its thrust will affect the small spacecraft's low orbit. Engineers will also evaluate the toughness of the new composite tension pole, which is 75% lighter and 100 times less deformable than any previous Solar sail prototype.

Following the initial flight and an estimated two-month subsystem testing period, ACS3 will conduct multiple weeks of testing the CubeSat's ability to raise and lower its orbit. If ACS3's sail and mast system is successful, NASA will scale up the design enough to travel through the Solar System.