NASA has launched its first solar sail into orbit to explore space

NASA has solved the problem with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and is now looking to the future with one of the most promising projects it is working on this year, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System. The space agency is investing in technologies to harness solar energy beyond photovoltaic panels.

The craft has four wings that use the pressure of the Sun to propel it through the Solar System. NASA is conducting early tests and has managed to get the craft moving slowly, but the trickiest part is still to come. The space agency will have to learn to control its direction.

The wings are made of a reflective material, so it can be seen in the sky at night. This mission is one of the most curious that NASA is working on and it has decided to let fans take part in it. The space agency has created an application from which to monitor the movement of the aircraft.

The solar sail is small, but anyone with good eyesight can see it without using a telescope. NASA’s official app has added a feature that allows you to Set up notifications to receive alerts when the aircraft is observed from your location.

The space agency has gone one step further, encouraging fans to share photos of the spacecraft on social media using the hashtag #SpotTheSail. “Shining, glowing, spinning,” NASA said on its X account (formerly Twitter).

A new way to move through space

NASA’s ship was inspired by the sails that sail the sea. This propulsion technique uses the pressure it collects from sunlight to propel itself. generate a light thrust with which to move in space. Photons of light are reflected off the surface of the solar sail and produce acceleration.

The movement generated is small, but NASA’s goal with this craft is not to cover long distances in a short time. The aircraft could be one of the most efficient it has worked on, with the ability to travel for a long period at low speed.

The US space agency has not been a pioneer in designing these solar sails. The first successful project was built in 2010 with the IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun) spacecraft launched by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).

NASA has improved the prototype launched almost 15 years ago with a lightweight structure made of more durable materials. The craft is more efficient and the wings unfold smoothly, so the project is viable in the long term.

The solar sail will make it easier to explore deep space. NASA has launched this ship in low orbit at an altitude of between 500 and 600 kilometersThe structure opened without any major problems and will begin collecting data in space once controllers adjust the direction.

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Tags: NASA, Curiosities, Application