Composite solar sail is deployed, sets sail in space
NASA ACS3 system made of flexible polymer and carbon fiber materials has successfully deployed its boom system, shows potential for future space operations.
Artist’s concept of the solar sail. Source | NASA//Aero Animation/Ben Schweighart
NASA’s (Washington, D.C., U.S.) composite solar sail is now fully deployed in space after a successful test of its sail-hoisting boom system. Mission operators confirmed success on Aug. 29 after receiving data from the spacecraft. Centrally located aboard the spacecraft are four cameras which captured a panoramic view of the reflective sail and supporting composite booms; photos of the system unfurled in space will be released in coming days.
According to Aviation Week, the “solar sail uses a novel expanding tubal boom system made of flexible polymer and carbon fiber materials that can be rolled up inside a CubeSat for launch and then unrolled when deployed.” The fully deployed sails — there are four arrayed around the spacecraft — cover 860 square feet, which is about half of a tennis court.
The solar sail, made of reflective polymer sheets, harnesses the energy of photons emitted from the sun to propel the spacecraft. By angling the solar sail toward or away from the sun, the spacecraft’s altitude and position are changed. Because the system does not require propellant, NASA says the technology could lower the cost of long-duration, deep-space travel and increase access to additional parts of space.
“During the next few weeks, the team will test the maneuvering capabilities of the sail in space,” NASA says. “Raising and lowering the orbit of the advanced composite solar sail system spacecraft will provide valuable information that may help guide future concepts of operations and designs for solar sail-equipped science and exploration missions.”
The solar sail-equipped 12U CubeSat was made by NanoAvionics (headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, with locations in the U.S.) and launched by Rocket Lab (Long Beach, Calif., U.S.) in April 2024.
NASA says the current boom design could potentially support future solar sails as large as 5,400 square feet, and be used as a potential framing structure for buildings or antenna poles on the moon or Mars.
Read “NASA develops advanced composite solar sail system” for more information.
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