2024-08-03 04:00:07
A new era for space propulsion is on the horizon with NASA’s ACS3 project. The demonstrator, currently in orbit at an altitude of about 1,000 km, is about to deploy its 80 m² solar sail and use the light from the Sun to propel itself. This concept could revolutionize space travel, offering an alternative to traditional methods of propulsion traditional.
Credit: NASA/Aero Animation/Ben Schweighart
The project, launched in New Zealand in the spring, highlights materials innovative to improve the efficiency of this solar sail. NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is preparing to deploy its sail using its rigid, lightweight composite arms. These arms provide good maneuverability, making it possible to modify the orbit of the satellite by playing with the angle of the sail. After its launch in April aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, the satellite successfully passed a series of tests, including two-way communications and the deployment of solar panels to recharge the batteries. The solar sail, meanwhile, will be deployed in the coming weeks, and will be visible to the naked eye from Earth.
The development of this project involved several NASA centers. Ames designed the onboard camera diagnostic system, while Langley developed the composite arms and solar sail. NASA’s Small Space Technologies Program, based in Ames, funds and manages the mission, with contributions from the Game Changing Program. Development for the technology deployable arms.
This concept art shows the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft sailing through space using energy from the Sun.
Credit: NASA/Aero Animation/Ben Schweighart
This mission could not only prove the viability of solar sails, but also pave the way for new propulsion methods for future space missions, reducing the costs and increasing the autonomy of satellites and probes.
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