One of the biggest challenges in going to Mars is the need for huge amounts of fuel for this long distance journey. For many years, scientists have been searching for such solutions so that not only the time taken to travel to Mars can be reduced, but also the journey can be completed with minimum fuel. In this direction, NASA scientists are launching a unique spacecraft under a new experiment which can help us a lot in solving this problem of traveling to Mars. NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, or ACS3, is scheduled to launch this week for flight testing in orbit.
The NASA mission will test a new way to move around our solar system by using the propulsion of sunlight. ACS3 will launch on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. Rocket Lab’s spacecraft will deploy the mission’s CubeSats about 600 miles above Earth, more than twice the altitude of the International Space Station.
This work will have to be done first
To test ACS3’s performance, it must be in an orbit high enough for the small force of sunlight on the sail to overcome atmospheric drag and gain altitude. This sail is equivalent to the weight of a paperclip resting on a human palm. The microwave oven-sized CubeSat will deploy its reflective solar cells, including an initial flight phase and subsystem checkout lasting about two months.
This sail is about 30 feet long which can carry a CubeSat to Mars. (Photo: NASA)
How will it work?
This solar sail will be approximately 30 feet long after opening. The week-long test included a series of exercises to demonstrate raising and lowering the orbiter using only the pressure of sunlight on the sail. NASA says ACS3 is ready to prove its ability to travel in space, increasing reach and enabling low-cost missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
This comes after NASA announced a revised launch date for its mission to one of Saturn’s moons in an effort to learn more about the origins of life. The space agency has confirmed that its Dragonfly drone mission to the planet’s largest moon Titan is scheduled to launch in July 2028.
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FIRST PUBLISHED: April 24, 2024, 12:28 IST
