Kongsberg NanoAvionics has introduced that the 12U nanosatellite bus it constructed for the in-orbit demonstration of NASA’s Superior Composite Photo voltaic Sail System mission was efficiently launched by Rocket Lab.
Picture courtesy NASA
The satellite tv for pc was launched onboard Electron 47 Mild from a launch web site in Mahia, New Zealand, opens on 24 April 2024 at 10:32 (NZT).
NASA’s know-how demonstration aboard a NanoAvionics bus will check an 860 sq. foot (80 sq. meter) photo voltaic sail that makes use of mild strain appearing on giant reflective polymer sheets to supply propulsion for small satellites and check new deployable composite growth applied sciences for future area missions. The mission’s major goal is to efficiently show deployment of a brand new composite growth design. The booms are comprised of versatile polymer and carbon fibre supplies that may be rolled and stowed very compactly, but are stiffer and lighter than earlier designs when absolutely deployed. The booms assist and supply pressure to 4 reflective polymer membrane ‘sails’. When absolutely deployed, the workforce will carry out a sequence of manoeuvres to measure the thrust efficiency of the photo voltaic sail.
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The composite booms might also be used for constructing advanced constructions on the Moon and even Mars similar to trusses for communications towers, floor shelters like hangars or very lengthy antennas for rovers. Whereas the photo voltaic sail, if profitable, may very well be the long run low-thrust propulsion selection for cost-effective interplanetary science missions. Since photo voltaic sails require no propellant, they will basically function indefinitely and supply a substitute for typical rocket propulsion for a lot of long-duration missions.
The flight-proven 12U bus was assembled by NanoAvionics at its US facility whereas the combination of the payload was carried out at NASA’s Ames Analysis Heart in California’s Silicon Valley, and NASA’s Langley Analysis Heart in Hampton, Virginia. The 9U payload quantity was essential to host the 4.6 kg payload consisting of composite booms, polymer sails, the photo voltaic sail deployer mechanisms, deployment management electronics and onboard cameras to watch the photo voltaic sail throughout and after deployment. Throughout the whole demonstration section, NanoAvionics engineers will present NASA with operational assist.
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Žilvinas Kvedaravičius, CEO of NanoAvionics, mentioned: “With the assistance of our satellite tv for pc bus, this NASA mission is poised to advance the frontier of area exploration. Being entrusted with constructing the satellite tv for pc bus for NASA’s state-of-the artwork mission is due to this fact an incredible testimony to NanoAvionics technical capabilities, and to our high quality and venture assurance requirements. The mission pushed the boundaries of our nanosatellite bus on a number of fronts and we carried these learnings onto our customary product line. In consequence, we had been in a position to enhance each time to and time in area for different industrial, governmental, and analysis organisations.
Paul Frey, venture supervisor on this mission at NanoAvionics, mentioned: “Working with NASA to undertake the event of packing a photo voltaic sail right into a 12U spacecraft offered each groups with quite a few technical challenges. This mission is a vital first step in direction of utilizing photo voltaic propulsion for future deep area exploration.”
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