“NASA Composite Booms Deploy, Mission Sets Sail in Space”

NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System is now fully deployed in space after a successful test of its sail-hoisting boom system. Mission operators confirmed success at 1:33 p.m. EDT (10:33 a.m. PDT) on Thursday, 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. High-resolution imagery from these cameras will be available on Wednesday, Sept. 4. 

During the next few weeks, the team will test the maneuvering capabilities of the sail in space. 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 Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft orbits Earth at approximately twice the altitude of the International Space Station. From above, the sail will appear as a square, with an area of approximately 860 square feet (80 square meters) – about half the size of a tennis court. Now, with the sail fully extended, the Solar Sail System may be visible to some keen skywatchers on Earth who look up at the right time. Stay tuned to NASA.gov and @NASAAmes on social media for updates on how to catch the spacecraft passing over your area.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/smallsatellites/2024/08/29/nasa-composite-booms-deploy-mission-sets-sail-in-space

Comment: I just happened to spot this today. Some here might remember my interest in solar sails from a post I did several years ago about the Planetary Society’s LightSail 2. At that time NASA planned a fairly ambitious solar sail mission, Solar Cruiser, with a 1600 plus square meter sail. For comparison, LightSail 2 had a 32 square meter sail and this Advance Composite Solar Sail System has an 80 square meter sail. Unfortunately, NASA cancelled the Solar Cruiser in 2022. A smaller solar sailor, NEA Scout, was launched, but the project team lost communications with the craft shortly after deployment. That one was supposed to chase an asteroid. I’m hoping that if this test is successful, private space companies, with NASA assistance, will take this technology and run with it. Maybe the Planetary Society will have another go at it.

Seems the novel part of this mission is how the booms are stored and extended. It reminds me of one of those party favors that start as a flat coil and extent into a rigid tube when you blow into it. Fairly simple, really. I wonder if that’s how NASA came up with the idea.

As I mentioned in my 2021 post, my interest in solar sails was sparked by Arthur C. Clarke’s “The Sunjammer” when it appeared in Boys’ Life in 1964. I found a link to the story with the artwork that appeared in that old Boys Life. It’s a ripping good yard. I highly recommend it. The one thing that would make it better is to have the original Boys Life magazine and reading the story by campfire with the full Moon above. 

TTG   

https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-next-generation-solar-sail-boom-technology-ready-for-launch/