Category: Ames Research Center

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.

For ongoing mission updates, follow us on social media:  

X: @NASAAmes, @NASA 
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NASA Ames manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA Langley designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program office based at NASA Ames and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, funds and manages the mission. NASA STMD’s Game Changing Development program developed the deployable composite boom technology. Rocket Lab USA, Inc of Long Beach, California provided launch services, and NanoAvionics provided the spacecraft bus.  

NASA Updates Deployment Efforts for Solar Sail Demonstration

NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System has begun deployment operations. Upon an initial attempt to unfurl, the solar sail paused when an onboard power monitor detected higher than expected motor currents. Communications, power, and attitude control for the spacecraft all remain normal while mission managers work to understand and resolve the cause of the interruption by analyzing data from the spacecraft.

One of the primary objectives of this technology demonstration is to test the expanding boom system, which has never been deployed for a solar sail on a spacecraft of this size. The spacecraft’s booms, which are similar in function to a sailboat’s booms, are made of a new material that is stiffer and lighter than previous designs. This technology has the potential to lower the cost of deep space missions and increase access to space.

Mission operators have been able to download data from the spacecraft during brief, planned communications windows when it passes in range of mission control at Santa Clara University in California. The team is conducting analysis and assessing all spacecraft systems before resuming deployment operations.

NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program maintains a philosophy of risk tolerance in its pursuit to rapidly mature space technologies that meet the needs of NASA and the nation.

For ongoing mission updates, follow us on social media:

X: @NASAAmes, @NASA
Facebook: NASA Ames, NASA
Instagram: @NASAAmes, @NASA

NASA Ames manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA Langley designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program office based at NASA Ames and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, funds and manages the mission. NASA STMD’s Game Changing Development program developed the deployable composite boom technology. Rocket Lab USA, Inc of Long Beach, California provided launch services, and NanoAvionics provided the spacecraft bus.  

 

NASA’s Solar Sail System Readies Sail Deployment

Commissioning is nearly complete for NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, and mission operators are charting a course for their next milestone – hoisting the sails using new composite booms.

The sail will unfurl from the spacecraft’s 12-unit (12U) CubeSat body using composite booms made from new materials that are stiffer and lighter than previous designs. Once successful boom and sail deployment are achieved, the team hopes to prove the sail’s propulsion capabilities and maneuverability by raising and lowering the satellite’s orbit. Solar sails use the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, as photons bouncing off a reflective sail push a spacecraft. Like a sailboat turning to capture the wind, the spacecraft can adjust its orbit by angling the sail.

After launching in April aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from New Zealand, the mission completed a series of tests and preparations, including testing two-way communications and deploying solar panels – a battery-charging mechanism, not to be confused with the not-yet deployed solar sail.

The project team expects to deploy the sail in the next few weeks. Given its position in orbit, about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) above Earth, and the reflectivity of the large sail, about 860 square feet (80 square meters), mission managers say the Solar Sail System should be easily visible at times in the night sky once the sail is fully deployed.

For ongoing mission updates, follow us on social media:

X: @NASAAmes, @NASA
Facebook: NASA Ames, NASA
Instagram: @NASAAmes, @NASA

NASA Ames manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA Langley designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program office based at NASA Ames and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), funds and manages the mission. NASA STMD’s Game Changing Development program developed the deployable composite boom technology. Rocket Lab USA, Inc of Long Beach, California provided launch services. AST&Defense LLC of College Park, Maryland, designed and built the spacecraft bus.

 

 

Ahoy! NASA’s Solar Sail Mission Successfully Phones Home

NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System has now connected with ground operators following its April 23 launch aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket. The satellite is on its way to testing next-generation solar sail technology, which uses the power of sunlight to propel a spacecraft. The results from this mission will advance future space travel to expand our understanding of our Sun and solar system.

The spacecraft was successfully delivered to a type of low Earth orbit called a Sun-synchronous orbit. All systems show that the spacecraft is operational and healthy. Last night at 11:30 p.m. PDT (2:30 a.m. EDT), the microwave oven-sized CubeSat passed over the ground hub located at Santa Clara University’s Robotics Systems Lab in Santa Clara, California, and the mission team confirmed successful two-way communications.

Next, the CubeSat will undergo a one- to two-month commissioning phase to prepare for the solar sail deployment and maneuvering test. At this time, the sail remains within the body of the CubeSat. The mission operations team will set a date to unfurl the sail after all commissioning tasks have been completed. Once ready, the spacecraft will unroll it solar sail via four booms that span the diagonals of the square and unspool to reach 23 feet (about 7 meters) in length.

For ongoing mission updates, follow us on social media:

Twitter: @NASAAmes, @NASA
Facebook: NASA Ames, NASA
Instagram: @NASAAmes, @NASA

NASA Ames manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA Langley designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program office based at NASA Ames and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), funds and manages the mission. NASA STMD’s Game Changing Development program developed the deployable composite boom technology. Rocket Lab USA, Inc of Long Beach, California is providing launch services. NanoAvionics is providing the spacecraft bus.

Solar Sail CubeSat Has Deployed from Rocket

NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System is confirmed to have deployed from Rocket Lab’s Electron kick stage. The satellite has reached low Earth orbit to begin its mission to test next-generation technology that uses the power of sunlight as propulsion.  

Next, the solar sail satellite will power up and attempt initial contact with the ground; a process that may occur overnight or in the next several days. 

For updates, follow us on social media:   

Twitter: @NASAAmes, @NASA
Facebook: NASA Ames, NASA
Instagram: @NASAAmes, @NASA 

NASA Ames manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA Langley designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program office based at NASA Ames and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), funds and manages the mission. NASA STMD’s Game Changing Development program developed the deployable composite boom technology. Rocket Lab USA, Inc of Long Beach, California is providing launch services. NanoAvionics is providing the spacecraft bus. 

NASA’s Solar Sail: We Have Liftoff!

NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System Mission is on its way! The spacecraft has lifted off from the launch pad aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket.  

The microwave oven-sized satellite is on its way to low Earth orbit to test its next-generation solar sail technology, using the power of sunlight as propulsion.  

Rocket Lab is providing a live launch broadcast, available on the company’s website. 

Connect with us on social media for ongoing launch updates: 

Twitter: @NASAAmes, @NASA, @RocketLab 
Facebook: NASA Ames, NASA, RocketLabUSA 
Instagram: @NASAAmes, @NASA, @RocketLabUSA 

NASA Ames manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA Langley designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program office based at NASA Ames and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), funds and manages the mission. NASA STMD’s Game Changing Development program developed the deployable composite boom technology. Rocket Lab USA, Inc of Long Beach, California is providing launch services. NanoAvionics is providing the spacecraft bus.  

It’s Launch Day for NASA’s New Solar Sail Mission!

Welcome to launch day for NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail Mission! This next-generation solar sail technology, which uses the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, waits for liftoff atop a Rocket Lab Electron rocket at the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand. This launch will send the solar sail satellite to low Earth orbit, where it will test technologies designed to advance future space travel and expand our understanding of our Sun and solar system.   

A one-hour launch window opens at 6:00 p.m. EDT (10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 24, in New Zealand). Rocket Lab is providing a live launch broadcast, available on the company’s website approximately 30 minutes before launch. 

Today’s launch aims to deploy the spacecraft about 600 miles above Earth, which is more than twice the altitude of the International Space Station. Following an initial flight stage lasting about two months, the microwave-oven sized CubeSat will deploy its solar sail. The mission consists of a series of maneuvers to demonstrate orbit raising and lowering, using only the pressure of sunlight acting on the sail. 

Here’s a look at some of today’s upcoming milestones. All times are approximate: 

  • -00:02:00 Launch autosequence begins 
  • -00:00:02 Rutherford engines ignite 
  • 00:00:00 Lift-off 
  • 00:00:55 Vehicle Supersonic 
  • 00:01:07 Max-Q 
  • +00:02:24 Main Engine Cut Off (MECO) on Electron’s first stage 
  • +00:02:28 Stage 1 separates from Stage 2 
  • +00:02:31 Electron’s Stage 2 Rutherford engine ignites 
  • +00:03:07 Fairing separation 
  • +00:06:21 Battery hot-swap 
  • +00:09:11 Second Engine Cut Off (SECO) on Stage 2 
  • +00:09:15 Stage 2 separation from Kick Stage 
  • +00:47:09 Kick Stage Curie engine ignition 
  • +00:49:16 Kick Stage Curie engine cut off 
  • ~+01:45:36 Payload deployment for NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System

Follow launch updates on this blog and stay connected with the mission on social media: 

Twitter: @NASAAmes, @NASA, @RocketLab 
Facebook: NASA Ames, NASA, RocketLabUSA 
Instagram: @NASAAmes, @NASA, @RocketLabUSA 

NASA Ames manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA Langley designed and built the deployable composite booms and solar sail system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program office based at NASA Ames and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), funds and manages the mission. NASA STMD’s Game Changing Development program developed the deployable composite boom technology. Rocket Lab USA, Inc of Long Beach, California is providing launch services. NanoAvionics is providing the spacecraft bus. 

NASA’s Starling CubeSats Succeed in Early Space Navigation Test

NASA’s Starling mission accomplished a significant objective for the StarFOX (Starling Formation-Flying Optical Experiment) experiment, a test of autonomous navigation, co-location, and situational awareness in space.

Using downlinked images from onboard “star tracker” sensors, the team used ground-based software to demonstrate StarFOX’s ability to autonomously differentiate the background field of stars and other orbiting spacecraft from fellow members of the Starling swarm.

The spacecraft captured one photo every minute, and despite inconsistencies in illumination and minimal relative motion, the software was able to use the angular positions of the other Starling satellites within those images to estimate their orbits accurately with respect to GPS measurements captured during the test.

The next step is to demonstrate this software in orbit with similar results, autonomously correcting orbit predictions over time as each photo provides more data about the trajectory of spacecraft in the swarm.

StarFOX is being led by the Stanford University’s Space Rendezvous Laboratory.

To stay updated on the Starling mission, follow this blog, and stay connected on social media:

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 Starling is funded by NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington.