News & Analysis
Ikaros probe to Venus successfully deploys 'solar sail'
George Leopold
6/11/2010 12:38 PM EDT
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the solar sail, a component of the probe's Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator, is generating power through its thin-film solar cells. Ikaros was launched from Tanegashima Space Center on May 21 and is currently about 5 million miles from Earth.
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| Ikaros solar sail deployment as seen from a satellite camera (Source: JAXA) |
The solar sail will eventually provide propulsion for the probe using photons captured by the sail to accelerate Ikaros. The sail measures 14 meters on a side and 20 meters across.
The space agency said in a statement that it is preparing to "accelerate the satellite by photon pressure, and verify the orbit control through that acceleration. Through these activities, we will ultimately aim at acquiring navigation technology through the solar sail."
The destination for Ikaros is Venus. If the 7.5-micron-thick sail operates as planned, it will propel the satellite into orbit around the second planet from the Sun in about six months, the agency said.
The solar sail is powered by 25-micron-thick amorphous silicon cells.
Ikaros marks the first attempt to propel a space probe using photons. Solar sails act as giant mirrors that reflect sunlight back in the direction it came from. The reflection generates momentum that can be used to propel satellites.
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Duane Benson
6/11/2010 4:31 PM EDT
Am I missing something here? Wouldn't the solar cell capture photons coming from the sun to push the probe away from the sun? And wouldn't the trip to Venus require that the probe go toward the sun? I think Venus is about 25% of an orbit behind the Earth right now, so the probe would be heading just slightly in from perpendicular to the path of the photons. I wouldn't think a solar sail could tack like a wind sail here on earth because that utilizes aerodynamics, not Newtonian force.
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jnhong
6/11/2010 8:00 PM EDT
@Duane B: I was thinking the same thing. But if the sail acts as a mirror, the reflected photons can be aimed "forward", pushing the craft away from the Earth into a lagging orbit. Relatively, the probe is slowing down and the Sun's gravity will pull it in. It's like a drag chute instead of a mainsail. Huge guess, but I'm sure some rocket scientist here can set us right.
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selinz
6/14/2010 2:22 PM EDT
Take a gander at Wikipedia, solar sail... It's cool technology!
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Duane Benson
6/14/2010 4:01 PM EDT
Thinking In terms of changing the solar-orbital velocity, it makes sense now. I was thinking in terms of a static set of objects, which of course, our planets are not. Sorry Newton and Kepler.
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JON-design
3/15/2012 7:54 AM EDT
Space exploration takes my breath away. When you think about all the physics and long-term planning that goes into something as complex as exploring the other planets of our solar system it is astounding that we are able to accomplish anything at all. Why the scientists and engineers doing this diligent work are not lauded as heroes every day is beyond me!
Jon - Website Designers
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