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NASA To Demonstrate Largest-Ever Solar Sail in Space

Posted by timothy on from the they've-pointed-her-bow-to-the-southern-star dept.

Zothecula writes "NASA's upcoming Technology Demonstration Missions are intended to 'transform its space communications, deep space navigation and in-space propulsion capabilities.' Three project proposals have been selected for these missions, which should be launching in 2015 and 2016. One of those projects will involve demonstrating a mission-capable solar sail. While NASA has recently tested a solar sail measuring 100 square feet (9.29 square meters), this one will be the largest ever flown, spanning a whopping 409 square feet, or 38 square meters."

3 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. An important step towards propusion by Covalent · · Score: 4, Informative

    At this size (0.000038 km^2) the amount of thrust generated by this sail will be 0.0003477N. If the total mass of sail and attached spacecraft is 100kg, then the acceleration will be 3.477E-6 m/s^2. After a month at this acceleration, the craft will be traveling at 9m/s. That's only about 20mph. Not very fast, but an important proof of concept.

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    Great warrior...hrmph! Wars not make one great.
    1. Re:An important step towards propusion by rolias · · Score: 4, Informative

      Except that the article is wrong. The sail will be 38m wide, or 1444m^2. That's 0.013N: 2 * (38m)^2 * 1368W/m^2 / (300,000,000m/s)

  2. Complete story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    For the complete story, see the NASA announcement from August 22nd: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/crosscutting_capability/tech_demo_missions.html

    The sail is 38x38m. Two 20x20m sails were developed for NASA in 2005 by L'Garde and ATK. The thrust on the sail is approximately: 2 * (38m)^2 * 1368 W/m^2 / c ~= 0.01 N