New solar sail aims to not repeat recent history

Attempts to launch a solar sail into space haven't exactly been met with success in the past, but NASA now looks set to try to notch one up in the win column, with the agency reportedly on track for a launch of its own as soon as July 29th. As the name suggests, its new NanoSail-D is smaller than previous sails, with it consisting of four 3-meter wide sails made of a plastic film coated with aluminum. Also, like similar missions, this one is primarily a proof of concept one, which NASA hopes will demonstrate the feasibility of deploying sails in orbit, including the possibility of using them to bring satellites back down to Earth when they've outlived their usefulness to keep space a bit tidier. As NewScientist points out, however, NASA already has some of the odds stacked against it, with its launch craft, the Falcon 1, having failed on its two launch attempts so far.

[(01) @ Jul 4th 2008 3:49PM]

Hmmm...when I was watching "when We Left Earth," I don' think I saw one solar panel deploy properly...here's hoping.

[Eric @ Jul 4th 2008 5:32PM]

It's only news when they don't. There are thousands of sats up there running on solar that had perfect deployments.

[Mr. Fax Sender @ Jul 4th 2008 5:42PM]

Wrong kind of solar power.

Solar PANELS produce electricity from sun light.

Solar SAILS replace the need for rockets, basically acting like a giant kite.

[Wwhat @ Jul 4th 2008 9:06PM]

Indeed but there have been some very big solar panels unfolded, the spacestations people put up there had some huge ones, although some of those had some issues unfolding too, you'd think that over 30 years they figured out what to look out for and make it work, but I guess they just keep having fresh engineers that start from scratch. And I guess the thinness and low mass of the sails don't help if they already have trouble with panels.
On the plus side, perhaps once they get it right we get some newfangled umbrellas as spin-off, space umbrellas.

[SeanG @ Jul 4th 2008 6:25PM]

Aww why you have to be trashing SpaceX? They're about the only actually effective private space venture out there. Branson/Rutan's operation is just a cheezy rich peoples roller coaster ride. Elon Musk and co. may actually be game changers.

[Ron Smith @ Jul 5th 2008 9:22AM]

I suppose Orbital which has been privately putting satellites in space since 1990 doesn't count?

[Echo1 @ Jul 4th 2008 7:26PM]

Where's the laser to propel it?

[Mr. E @ Jul 5th 2008 5:32PM]

We don't need no frickin' laser beams... It's powered by the "wind" from the sun. Hence the name SOLAR sail.

[tomokazu.osada @ Jul 4th 2008 8:49PM]

well, it's a solar sail, that's your first problem

tomo

[Wwhat @ Jul 4th 2008 9:00PM]

Problem is that all those nasa people come from the airforce and they fail at sailing, they need to get some navy people.

(j/k)

[paul34 @ Jul 4th 2008 9:15PM]

Hmm, now I'm waiting for the PSAs about keeping space clean, and Universal warming.

[derb @ Jul 4th 2008 11:16PM]

Check out the video of a test deployment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW1Pf0uMSug
BTW the form factor of satellite they are using is called a Cubesat.

[TNP @ Jul 5th 2008 9:36PM]

What are the odds in crashes in Roswell?

[allenvanhellen @ Jul 8th 2008 12:29PM]

"... aims to not repeat..."

I assume this is hyperbaton, though I'm not sure it's justifiable.

[allenvanhellen @ Jul 8th 2008 12:31PM]

... or this could be hypercritical on my part.

Please excuse this smart-ass's fun.