NASA’s Solar Sail Successfully Unfurls Its Wings in Space

Spacecraft data has confirmed successful deployment of the futuristic technology.

OVer four months after its launch into space, solar-sailing spacecraft has revealed its wings above the planet’s surface.

Rocket Lab, a company that specializes in the launching of small satellites saw its Electron vehicle take off on April 24 in order to launch NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3). Finally, at the end of August, through the comments of National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA, it was affirmed full deployment of the technology in space. On August 29 at 1. 33 p. m. EDT or 5:33 UTC, the space exploration mission transmitted results to the mission team, where all the sail-hoisting boom system had been tested.

In the same manner to which wind nudge a sailboat across water, a small extent of sunlight can enough to push sails in space. Surprisingly, photons do not have mass but they possess momentum that can be delivered on an object , something that is used in the solar sails. Thankfully, the spacecraft that is outfitted with the sail is fitted with four cameras for panoramic views of both the reflective sail as well as the composite booms. JE_i InfluentialSHigh-resolution images are expected to be available by Wednesday September 4 Je

In the successive few weeks, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft is to perform manoeuvre tests to determine the response of the sail solar sail in the space environment. The change in the orbit is to enable scientists in the field to get better understand the design and functioning of future solar sail missions.

This mission was useful in the planning of large scale composite solar sail for the use in other scientific missions for instance; space weather warning satellites, asteroid mission, scouting and solar polar missions.

Currently the spacecraft is flying at an altitude that is about twice the distance of the International Space Station. From head, the sail is little more than a great square measuring to 860 sq. ft or 80 sq. m.

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