On April 24, NASA is set to launch the Advanced Composite Sail System (ACS3), a groundbreaking project utilizing solar sails. The launch will be conducted using the Electron rocket from Rocket Lab at the cosmodrome on the Machia Peninsula in New Zealand. The primary goal of this mission is to showcase the capabilities of solar sails for future ambitious and cost-effective space missions to destinations like the moon, Mars, and beyond.
The ACS3 satellite, classified as a Cubesat, will be placed into orbit at an altitude of approximately 965 kilometers – twice the height of the International Space Station’s orbit. At this altitude, the solar sail will utilize sunlight to overcome atmospheric resistance and boost the satellite’s apogee.
Following the launch, the satellite will undergo an initial flight phase lasting two months, during which the ground control team will assess the performance of all onboard systems. Subsequently, the satellite will unfurl its reflective solar sail and conduct a series of maneuvers over the following weeks to demonstrate its orbit-changing capabilities.
The ACS3 mission follows the success of The Planetary Society’s Lightsail 2 mission in 2019, which showcased the use of Mylar material to increase a satellite’s orbit using sunlight. NASA aims to further prove the viability of this technology for enabling more extensive and financially viable space missions.
Additionally, there are ambitious projects like Breakthrough Starshot, proposing the deployment of a million lasers to propel a Lightsail probe towards the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri. Introduced in 2016 by Breakthrough Initiatives with the backing of prominent figures like Yuri and Julia Milner, Mark Zuckerberg, and Stephen Hawking, this project offers new possibilities for space exploration.
Overall, the ACS3 mission signifies a significant step towards advancing long-range space exploration, showcasing the potential of innovative technologies in achieving future space goals.