Interstellar travel: NASA tests solar sails in space

The Electron rocket was launched on April 24 from Rocket Lab in New Zealand, which will test solar sails for future interstellar travel.

On April 24, 2024, the Electron rocket took flight from the spaceport of Rocket Lab in New Zealand, with a precious cargo on board: the NASA cubesat ACS3. The mission, called “Beginning Of The Swarm”, had a dual objective: to release the NEONSAT-1 satellite for Earth observation and test a key technology for the future interstellar travel: the solar sail.

The ACS3 cubesat, built by NASA, represents an important step in the development of solar sail propulsion. This technology exploits the pressure exerted by photons emitted by the Sun to push an aircraft into space. Although the thrust generated is minimal, over time they can accumulate and allow high speeds to be reached, ideal for long journeys in space.

Operation and characteristics of ACS3 for interstellar travel

ACS3 is the size of a 12U, about 12 times the standard of one unit. Inside there is a mechanism of four relaxing arms made of composite material. These arms are responsible for deploy the solar sailwhich has a width of approximately 80 square meters and is made of polymeric material. The deployment of the sail occurs in about 25 minutes. The entire operation is filmed by cameras to monitor its correct functioning.

Solar sail propulsion offers several advantages over traditional systems. First, it doesn’t require propellant. This means that, once the sail is deployed, the probe can travel for very long periods of time without the need for refueling. Furthermore, it is a very energy efficient system, as it uses a renewable and free energy source like sunlight.

NASA’s ultimate goal is to make solar sails large enough to push low-mass space probes beyond the edge of the Solar System. The technology tested with ACS3 represents a fundamental piece for this ambitious goal. However, several challenges still remain to be addressed. One of these is the creation of sails of even larger dimensions and the development of control and navigation systems suitable for long-duration missions for interstellar travel.