| The Planetary Society’s LightSail test mission successfully completed its primary objective of deploying a solar sail in low-Earth orbit. The proof-of concept mission could herald a new technique to travel the vast distances of outer space. |
The Planetary Society’s LightSail test mission successfully completed its primary objective of deploying a solar sail in low-Earth orbit.. During a ground station pass, the final pieces of an image showcasing LightSail’s deployed solar sails were received on Earth.
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The mission began with a launch from Cape Canaveral aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The spacecraft fought its way through software glitches, two signal losses and unexpected battery behavior before finally deploying its solar sails on June 7th.
The LightSail team is now downloading a second camera image from the opposite side of the spacecraft before it reenters Earth’s atmosphere. Because LightSail was directly between the sun and Earth at the time of image acquisition on June 8, it is believed the second photograph may include a view of Earth.
Next, engineers may “walk out” the sail booms to increase the tension on the sails, which could further flatten the wavy appearance of the mylar sail. The image also appears slightly distorted due to the camera's fish-eye lens. The team will analyze all sail imagery and any tensioning results in preparation for next year’s flight, when LightSail operates in a higher orbit and uses sunlight for propulsion.
SOURCE Planetary Society
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