Solar power sail

What is advanced composite solar sail system?

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.

How do solar sails work?

Just as a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating the need for conventional rocket propellant. Learn About Solar Sails about What is the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System?

How big is a solar sail?

Engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center test deployment of the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System’s solar sail. The unfurled solar sail is approximately 30 feet (about 9 meters) on a side. Since solar radiation pressure is small, the solar sail must be large to efficiently generate thrust.

Are solar sails eco-friendly?

Solar sails offer a fuel-free, environmentally friendly method of propulsion, capable of propelling low-mass missions to novel orbits and distant planets. Credit: NASA NASA is pioneering solar sail technology for space exploration, offering an eco-friendly propulsion system that harnesses sunlight.

What are solar sails?

Solar sails (also known as lightsails, light sails, and photon sails) are a method of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large surfaces. A number of spaceflight missions to test solar propulsion and navigation have been proposed since the 1980s.

Can solar sail technology be used for Deep Space Transportation?

NASA continues to unfurl plans for solar sail technology as a promising method of deep space transportation. The agency cleared a key technology milestone in January with the successful deployment of one of four identical solar sail quadrants. The deployment was showcased Jan. 30 at Redwire Corp.’s new facility in Longmont, Colorado.