Solar sail breakthrough: Future NASA spacecraft could be powered by Sun

Solar sails will operate differently from traditional spacecraft, which rely on onboard fuel systems. However, NASA has designed solar sails to harness the continuous pressure of sunlight for propulsion.

Solar sails remove the need for heavy onboard fuel systems, reducing the spacecraft’s mass. This reduced mass will reduce costs, enabling longer-duration voyages and reaching unique vantage points in space.

Interesting Engineering has already reported how scientists and researchers worldwide are working on solar sails to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of deep space missions.

An innovative design

A key element of this next-generation solar sail is its composite boom system, which is constructed of a blend of flexible polymer and carbon fiber materials. Notably, these booms boast superior strength but lighter weight than their predecessors. These advanced solar sails will also have a large surface area.

“Booms have tended to be either heavy and metallic or made of lightweight composite with a bulky design – neither of which work well for today’s small spacecraft. Solar sails need very large, stable, and lightweight booms that can fold down compactly,” said Keats Wilkie, the principal investigator of the mission at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

“This sail’s booms are tube-shaped and can be squashed flat and rolled like a tape measure into a small package while offering all the advantages of composite materials, like less bending and flexing during temperature changes.”

Deployment of solar sails will be key

NASA is ready to deploy the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System to test a new generation of solar sail technology. Once launched, the spacecraft will reach a Sun-synchronous orbit approximately 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) above Earth. At this altitude, the spacecraft will start unrolling its composite booms, which extend diagonally across the sail’s surface.

As per the official estimates, the deployment will take approximately 25 minutes. Post-deployment, the sail will measure around 860 square feet (80 square meters). Interestingly, onboard cameras will continuously capture the sail’s deployment. The cameras will offer crucial data on the sail’s shape and deployment integrity.

The mission’s lead systems engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, Alan Rhodes, stated, “Seven meters of the deployable booms can roll up into a shape that fits in your hand.”

“The hope is that the new technologies verified on this spacecraft will inspire others to use them in ways we haven’t even considered.”

Interestingly, if the weather conditions remain favorable and lighting stays optimum, the spacecraft may be visible from Earth. Moreover, after deployment, the reflective solar sails can shine as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

Offering several benefits

As per NASA, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System will provide critical information about our solar system and beyond. These spacecraft will be equipped with cutting-edge weather monitoring technology.

It could provide early warnings of solar storms and coronal mass ejections that could disrupt power grids, satellite communications, and other critical infrastructure on Earth.

Moreover, this boom’s design can potentially revolutionize future solar sail missions, which can be as large as 5,400 square feet (500 square meters). Besides, if the current mission is successful, the design can support sails of up to 21,500 square feet (2,000 square meters).

Endless opportunities

Rhodes stated, “The Sun will continue burning for billions of years, so we have a limitless source of propulsion. Instead of launching massive fuel tanks for future missions, we can launch larger sails that use “fuel” already available.”

He added, “We will demonstrate a system that uses this abundant resource to take the next giant steps in exploration and science.”  

Meanwhile, the project manager of the solar sail mission at NASA Ames, Rudy Aquilina, asserted, “This technology sparks the imagination, reimagining the whole idea of sailing and applying it to space travel.” Composite booms can be the perfect material for creating structures on Mars and the Moon.

The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System project is managed by NASA Ames.

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