"This artist’s concept shows the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft sailing in space using the energy of the Sun. Credit: NASA/Aero Animation/Ben Schweighart" (ScitechDaily, Tumbling in Orbit: NASA’s Test of Advanced Solar Sail Technology Encounters Early Challenges)
NASA's solar sail technology faced early challenges, but it seems promising. Solar sail technology is an interesting tool for traveling inside the asteroid belt and between Earth and Mars. If the spacecraft can use solar sail technology at least during the early journey to Mars. That technology saves energy and fuel.
When the craft starts to travel back to Earth the solar sail can brake the nuclear thermal rocket. There are two ways to use giant mylar structures for that purpose. One simply opens the sail behind the craft.
Then the solar wind pushes the craft backward. And that slows its speed. Or the nuclear thermal engine can use the sail as a break chute. The system can aim the thrust to that sail, slowing the speed. The nuclear rocket can change the exhaust gas line which minimizes thrust. This makes it possible to use solar sails for braking systems.
In some versions of the hypothetical interstellar probes, they slow their speed using solar sails. When those, still hypothetical probes will close the Alpha- and Proxima Centauri systems they can use the solar sails to slow its speed.
Artist's impression of Daedalus, the interstellar probe concept.
The nuclear thermal rockets can also use solar sails to travel to Mars and that gives them the ability to maneuver at trajectory. The fact is that the solar sails have limited operational area in the solar system.
However, researchers can use that technology in the systems that might someday take samples from the Sun to Earth. Those next-generation versions of the Parker probe can dive into the Sun's atmosphere and capture ions from there. Then the solar sail will transport those ions to Earth.
The solar wind gives thrust to the craft. And when it travels to Earth. When that probe travels near Earth the laser or ion beams that shoot against the solar sail will slow its speed and those ions from the Sun can carried to the laboratory.
The technology that allows to creation of solar sails can be used to create giant radar antennas that can packed into small spaces. The solar sail or space probe can travel to Jupiter and its icy Moons. Or the Martian orbiter. Map the surface and subsurface areas of the red planet. The radars that use long wavelengths can see things from underground.
Those systems can search underground ice and caves. Advanced radar systems can see things, like underground nuclear laboratories. The solar sail can also equipped with an iron net, that acts as a radio telescope. The large radio telescope that will travel outside the Solar system makes that thing possible.
Solar sails are systems that are promising for near-Earth journeys outside of the Sun. Because the system is based on existing technology there are radio telescopes and radars that can also connect to that structure.
The solar sail can be a suitable tool for long-term missions inside the asteroid belt. And the fact is that one system must not be suitable for everything.
The solar sail can give thrust and speed for things like Jupiter probes. The solar sail can open in the last stage of gravity acceleration. And that can make the flight time to Jupiter shorter.
https://scitechdaily.com/tumbling-in-orbit-nasas-test-of-advanced-solar-sail-technology-encounters-early-challenges/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus
Comments
Post a Comment