(MENAFN- AzerNews) By Alimat Aliyeva
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of theUnited States has announced a space test of solar sail technology, Azernews reports, citing the official NASAwebsite.
The website noted that it should take place on April 24. TheElectron rocket of the private aerospace company Rocket Lab withthe Advanced Composite Solar Sail System will go into orbit fromthe launch complex on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.
According to the mission plan, the small CubeSat satellite, thesize of a microwave oven, will deploy a sail at an altitude ofabout 965 kilometers above Earth, which is almost twice the orbitof the International Space Station.
NASA explained that such a height is necessary so that sunlight canconcentrate on the canvas and set the device in motion. The forceof solar pressure on the sail will be comparable to the pressure ofan ordinary paper clip lying on the palm of your hand.
The test flight will last more than two months, and most of thistime will be spent checking subsystems. Direct tests of the sailwill take a week, during which the CubeSat satellite will perform aseries of maneuvers.
NASA's advanced composite solar sailing system is designed toprove its ability to move in space, expanding access and providinglow-cost missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
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