From sci-fi to sky-high: NASA's next-gen solar sail set to take flight

In a significant leap towards future space travel, NASA's next-generation solar sail technology, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, is all set to launch aboard Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand, later this month. The hope is that this technology will redefine the bounds of space travel and revolutionize our understanding of the Sun and the solar system.

The demonstration uses a twelve-unit (12U) CubeSat built to test a new composite boom crafted from flexible a fusion of polymer and carbon fiber materials that are stiffer and lighter than previous boom designs. The key goal of this mission is to demonstrate new boom deployment, but once successfully deployed, the mission team also hopes to prove the solar sail’s performance.

The solar sail can adjust its orbit by angling its sail, akin to a sailboat capturing the wind. The mission will test a series of maneuvers to change the spacecraft's orbit and gather data for potential future missions with even larger sails.

Once in its intended Sun-synchronous orbit, about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) above Earth, the sail will begin unrolling its composite booms and after approximately 25 minutes the spacecraft will fully deploy, spanning an impressive 860 square feet - roughly the size of six parking spaces. This big moment will be captured by onboard cameras, documenting the sail's deployment in real time.

According to NASA, the fully deployed solar sail may be visible from Earth, if the lighting conditions align. Its reflective material will be as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

The success of this mission could pave the way for more ambitious explorations to the Moon, Mars, and further into the cosmos. The lightweight and compact design of the composite booms present a promising future in developing habitats on the Moon and Mars.

"This technology sparks the imagination, reimagining the whole idea of sailing and applying it to space travel. Demonstrating the abilities of solar sails and lightweight, composite booms is the next step in using this technology to inspire future missions," said Rudy Aquilina, project manager of the solar sail mission at NASA Ames.

Sail away, sail away, sail away 🎵🛰️Our next-generation solar sail technology will launch from New Zealand aboard @RocketLab’s Electron rocket later this month. Learn more about the mission that will be sailing on sunlight: https://t.co/KGK5xDg2kn pic.twitter.com/c6KbwDeoMg

— NASA Ames (@NASAAmes) April 10, 2024