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NASA 

NASA is gearing up for its latest solar sail mission, dubbed the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3), set to launch no sooner than April 24. The mission aims to test new space travel materials in Earth's orbit, with a primary focus on deploying solar sails using innovative composite booms.

These composite booms, made of lightweight and sturdy materials, are designed to unfurl and hold four thin triangular sheets to form a kite-like solar sail. Compared to previous technology, these booms are more rigid and lighter, allowing for quicker deployment from a compact satellite.

Scheduled to lift off onboard Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from New Zealand's Māhia launch site, the ACS3 mission marks a significant step in utilizing solar sails as an affordable alternative for space travel. Solar sails harness sunlight to propel spacecraft, similar to how sailboats use wind, by transferring the momentum of photons striking the sail.

While previous missions like the Planetary Society's LightSail 2 have demonstrated the feasibility of solar sails, ACS3 aims to improve upon existing technology. Unlike the metal booms used in previous missions, ACS3 employs carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) booms, which are lighter and more flexible.

Once in orbit 600 miles above Earth's surface, the spacecraft will undergo a 25-minute process to deploy the composite booms, spanning the diagonals of the solar sail. If successful, the mission will also test maneuvering the spacecraft's orbit using the solar sail, providing valuable data for future missions.

Upon full deployment, the solar sail will cover an area of about 860 square feet, shining brightly above the Earth's surface. With its reflective surface, the sail is expected to sparkle as brightly as Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.

Alan Rhodes, the mission's lead systems engineer at NASA's Ames Research Center, expressed optimism that the new technologies validated by ACS3 will inspire future space exploration endeavors. The mission represents a step forward in harnessing the potential of solar sails for propulsion and scientific exploration beyond Earth's orbit.