Imagine a spacecraft that moves like a sailboat, using not the wind, but the light of the sun. This is the concept behind the solar saila technology designed to capture tiny amounts of pressure exerted by solar radiation to propel a spaceship to incredible speeds. Without the need for heavy and expensive propellants, a solar sail-powered spaceship could travel through space efficiently and sustainably.
ACS3 Mission: NASA’s Solar Sail Test
The solar sail concept was recently put to the test with the mission Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) of the NASA. On August 29, the CubeSats about the size of a microwave oven has unfurled its solar sail of 860 square feet in low Earth orbit, after being launched into space on April 23.
However, it remains unclear whether the sail is functioning properly. In the week after its deployment, NASA admitted that the small spacecraft had begun to “wobble” or “jiggle” in orbit. According to an agency spokesperson, this was expected, but the CubeSat’s future remains uncertain.
Observing the phenomenon: a suspicious movement?
According to a recent blog post by the professor of Delft University of Technology, Mark Langbroekspecializing in space situational awareness, ACS3 was observed decrease and increase brightnesssuggesting that it might be “oscillating or spinning” on itself. This phenomenon, known as wandering around an axis, it may have started after August 29, when the satellite seemed more stable.
Langbroek stressed that there could be other explanations, but for now the observed behavior suggests some sort of slow rotation. The Swiss satellite tracking company also S2A Systems confirmed similar observations, noting a possible slow rotation of the spacecraft.
NASA remains confident
Despite these observations, NASA engineers do not appear to be concerned. According to Jasmine HopkinsNASA public affairs specialist, ACS3’s current behavior is part of a planned sequence for the unfurling of the sail.
Before deploying the sail, ACS3 encountered some technical difficulties. During an initial attempt, the sail stopped when onboard systems detected a higher-than-expected motor current, according to an Aug. 26 NASA update. However, communications, power and attitude control remained normal while mission managers attempted to understand and resolve the cause of the abort.
The Future of Solar Sails
While ACS3 is not the first solar sail to be deployed in Earth orbit, this mission is particularly important because NASA is testing an extremely lightweight composite material that makes up the sail’s folding arms. The goal is to reduce the mass of the spacecraft and increase its resistance to solar radiation, bringing the possibility of low-cost solar sail-powered space missions into deep space closer.
As this technology evolves, the dream of exploring deep space with cheaper and more sustainable means could soon become a reality. What do you think? Will solar sails be the future of space missions?
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