Tag: Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3)

Update on NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System

Four views from cameras onboard the spacecraft show the reflective sail quadrants supported by composite booms.
Four cameras aboard the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft show the four reflective sail quadrants supported by composite booms. The booms are mounted at right angles and the spacecraft’s solar panel is rectangular, but lines appear distorted because of the wide-angle camera field of view. Mission operators are currently analyzing a slight bend in the boom pictured in the left corner of the bottom left image.

Mission operators for NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System continue to analyze data from the spacecraft and characterize the performance of its composite booms. Following successful deployment of the booms and solar sail, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System still slowly tumbles in orbit because the spacecraft’s attitude control system is not yet reengaged.

Before rolling out the booms in the deployment phase, the team deactivated the attitude control system to accommodate the spacecraft’s changing dynamics as the sail unfurled. Attitude control applies forces to a spacecraft to help it maintain a particular orientation relative to another location in space, such as aiming an antenna at a ground station for communications or optimally placing solar panels to face the Sun to charge a spacecraft’s batteries.

While the solar sail has fully extended to its square shape roughly half the size of a tennis court, the mission team is assessing what appears to be a slight bend in one of the four booms. This likely occurred as the booms and sail were pulled taut to the spacecraft during deployment. Analysis indicates that the bend may have partially straightened over the weeks since boom deployment, while the spacecraft was slowly tumbling.

The primary objective of the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System demonstration is to test deployment of the booms in space to inform future applications of the composite boom technology for large-scale solar sails and other structures. Data collected from this flight test has already proven highly valuable, and the demonstration will continue producing critical information to enable future solar sail missions.

The mission team predicts the slight bend in one of the four booms will not inhibit the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System’s ability to execute its sailing maneuvers later in the technology demonstration.

Now, mission operators are working to reposition the spacecraft, keeping the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System in low power mode until its solar panels are more favorably oriented toward direct sunlight. The team is conserving the spacecraft’s energy for priority operations – such as two-way communications with mission control – until its attitude control system is reactivated.

When the attitude control system is reengaged, the spacecraft will be able to point its high-bandwidth radio antenna more precisely toward the ground station as it passes overhead during its brief windows of communication with the mission team. At this stage, the team will be able to gather even more data, calibrate the precise shape of the sail, and prepare to begin its sailing maneuvers.

For ongoing mission updates, follow us on social media:

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NASA’s Ames Research Center manages the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project and designed and built the onboard camera diagnostic system. NASA’s Langley Research Center 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 Evaluates Deployed Advanced Composite Solar Sail System

Since deploying its sail last week, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft continues sending  images and data, helping the team better understand how the boom technology demonstration performed. The primary objective of the demonstration is to conduct the deployment operation and use it to inform the use of large-scale sails for future missions. The mission team is continuing to  analyze the incoming data and prepare for the next steps in the technology demonstration over the next couple of weeks.

Currently orbiting Earth, the spacecraft can be seen with its reflective sails deployed from the ground. As part of the planned deployment sequence, the spacecraft began flying without attitude control just before the deployment of the booms. As a result, it is slowly tumbling as expected. Once the mission team finishes characterizing the booms and sail, they will re-engage the spacecraft’s attitude control system, which will stabilize the spacecraft and stop the tumbling. Engineers will then analyze flight dynamics before initiating maneuvers that will raise and lower the spacecraft’s orbit.

Those interested in spotting the sail can view the spacecraft using a new feature in the NASA mobile app. Its visibility may be intermittent in the night sky, and it could appear at variable levels of brightness while tumbling. NASA invites the public to share their own photos of the spacecraft online with the hashtag, #SpotTheSail.

Image caption: The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System has four black-and-white wide-angle cameras, centrally located aboard the spacecraft. Near the bottom of the photo, the view from one camera shows the reflective sail quadrants supported by composite booms. At the top of the photo is the back surface of one of the spacecraft’s solar panels. The five sets of markings on the booms close to the spacecraft are reference markers to indicate full extension of the sail. The booms are mounted at right angles, and the solar panel is rectangular, but appear distorted because of the wide-angle camera field of view. Credit: NASA

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 
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 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.