NASA Harnesses Solar Energy To Power Its Next-Generation Spacecraft

Since the dawn of the space age, propelling any craft through the cosmos generally relied on heavy and inefficient fuels. But that has been changing in recent years, and NASA is leading the way with a new class of so-called “solar sails.”

A boost from the sun

Although creating this type of craft requires some serious know-how, the operational basics are fairly straightforward. Essentially, a solar sail makes use of the wind originating from the sun that permeates the entire solar system (although it becomes weaker over long distances).

The technology isn’t brand new — Japan launched the first solar sail in 2010 — but the tests currently underway by NASA could revolutionize how effective and efficient it can be in future space missions.

Experts say there are a few important characteristics that make solar sails more attractive options than traditional options:

• Propulsion via solar winds allows for more lightweight spacecraft
• The fuel supply is unlimited, supporting much longer missions
• Launching a solar sail mission is considerably less expensive

But that doesn’t mean we’re ready to replace those familiar rockets just yet.

Here comes the boom

There’s one nagging issue that has prevented the solar sail model from taking off (no pun intended) as quickly as proponents might have hoped. It’s all about the “boom,” which is used to support the sail itself.

So far, this component has been heavy and unwieldy, which makes it a hindrance to an otherwise compact, lightweight design. That’s where NASA thinks its Advanced Composite Solar Sail System can make some serious progress.

An upcoming launch will demonstrate how the latest boom system operates, and lead systems engineer Alan Rhodes is optimistic.

“The hope is that the new technologies verified on this spacecraft will inspire others to use them in ways we haven’t even considered,” he said.

Chris Agee April 13th, 2024

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