Planetary Society to launch solar sail demonstrator in May
Posted: Tue, Jan 27, 2015, 7:43 AM ET (1243 GMT)
The Planetary Society announced Monday that it will launch a small spacecraft designed to test solar sail technology in May. The nonprofit organization said it first LightSail spacecraft, a 3U CubeSat, will fly as a secondary payload on an Atlas 5 rocket launching in May from Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft will spend four weeks in orbit testing out its systems before deploying a set of Mylar sails on booms four meters long. Atmospheric drag will keep the sail from generating thrust, but will test systems for a second spacecraft, planned for launch in 2016, that will fly in a higher orbit. The organization ultimately hopes to show that solar sails, which generate thrust from the small but continuous pressure on the sails from sunlight, can be used for cost-effective solar system exploration.
The Planetary Society announced Monday that it will launch a small spacecraft designed to test solar sail technology in May. The nonprofit organization said it first LightSail spacecraft, a 3U CubeSat, will fly as a secondary payload on an Atlas 5 rocket launching in May from Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft will spend four weeks in orbit testing out its systems before deploying a set of Mylar sails on booms four meters long. Atmospheric drag will keep the sail from generating thrust, but will test systems for a second spacecraft, planned for launch in 2016, that will fly in a higher orbit. The organization ultimately hopes to show that solar sails, which generate thrust from the small but continuous pressure on the sails from sunlight, can be used for cost-effective solar system exploration.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Space Force adds Rocket Lab and Stoke Space to NSSL contract
Posted: Sun, Mar 30 9:19 AM ET (1319 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, April 2
Europe’s Launcher Revival Faces Challenging Start
Aviation Week — 5:18 am ET (0918 GMT) Space Force picks Northrop for ‘Elixir’ satellite refueling demo
Defense News — 5:17 am ET (0917 GMT) Gwynne Shotwell Rides SpaceX To Billion-Dollar Fortune
Forbes.com — 5:15 am ET (0915 GMT) SpaceX Puts Humans in Orbit Over Earth’s Poles for the First Time
New York Times — 5:13 am ET (0913 GMT) FAA closes investigation of January SpaceX Starship explosion
KTBC-TV Austin, TX — 5:11 am ET (0911 GMT) |
