NASA's CubeSat Initiative Aids in Testing of Technology for Solar Sails in Space

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May 20, 2015

RELEASE 15-101

NASA's CubeSat Initiative Aids in Testing of Technology for Solar Sails in Space

With help from NASA, a small research satellite to test technology for
in-space solar propulsion launched into space Wednesday aboard an Atlas V
rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, as part of the
agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative.

The Atlas V sent the U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane on its fourth
mission, which also is carrying NASA's Materials Exposure and Technology
Innovation in Space (METIS) investigation that will expose about 100
different materials samples to the space environment for more than 200 days.

The Planetary Society's LightSail satellite is a technology demonstration
for using solar propulsion on CubeSats, a class of research spacecraft called
nanosatellites. Using the momentum transferred from solar photons as they
strike a large, thin, reflective sail would allow a spacecraft to accelerate
continuously using only the sun's energy. NASA is considering the use of
solar sails on future exploration mission secondary payloads, and data from
this mission will advance understanding of this form of propulsion.

This first LightSail mission specifically is designed to test the
spacecraft's critical systems, including the deployment sequence for the
Mylar solar sail, which measures 32 square meters (344 square feet). The
Planetary Society is planning a second, full solar sailing demonstration
flight for 2016.

NASA selected LightSail as part of the agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative,
which provides opportunities for small satellites to fly as auxiliary
payloads on planned missions. It was assigned to a launch as part of as the
11th installment of the Educational Launch of Nanosatellite (ELaNa) mission.

The upper stage of the Atlas V included the National Reconnaissance
Office's third auxiliary mission to launch CubeSats. The Ultra Lightweight
Technology and Research Auxiliary Satellite (ULTRASat) carried 10 CubeSats --
including LightSail -- from five organizations. It was made possible through
agreements between NASA, the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center
and the National Reconnaissance Office to work together on CubeSat
integration and launch opportunities.

The cube-shaped satellites measure about four inches on each side, have a
volume of about one quart and weigh less than three pounds each. LightSail
consists of three CubeSats bundled together. Individual CubeSat research
projects may address science, exploration, technology development or
education. During the next month, the LightSail team will receive data from
the satellite in space. As part of its agreement with NASA, the Planetary
Society will provide the agency a report on outcomes and scientific findings.

Since its inception in 2010, the CubeSat Launch Initiative has selected 110
CubeSats primarily from educational and government institutions around the
United States. NASA will announce the next call for proposals in August 2015.

For more information about ELaNa, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/elana/

For more information about LightSail and the Planetary Society, visit:

http://sail.planetary.org

For additional information about NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/CubeSat_initiative

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