Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

LCD 'Engine' For Spacecraft Attitude Control

Posted by kdawson on from the little-more-to-the-left dept.

Bruce Perens writes "Japan's IKAROS satellite, which earlier performed the first successful demonstration of a solar sail, has broken more new ground. Liquid-crystal displays — yes, like in your video monitor — were fabricated into strips on the edges of the solar sail. By energizing some of the LCDs and changing the reflective characteristics of parts of the sail from specular to diffuse, JAXA scientists successfully generated attitude control torque in the sail, changing the spacecraft's orientation."

2 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Next up... by peacefinder · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Downwind faster than the solar wind!

    --
    With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter. -- William Lloyd
  2. Re:Useful for stationkeeping? by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It seems you don't get solar wind in a magnetosphere, so the two systems each work best where the other won't.

    --
    Bruce Perens.