Space Missions to Follow in 2016: Lightsail 2

In the first weeks of 2016, I have been writing about space missions to look forward to this year. This year, we're sending robots to Mars and Jupiter, and The Planetary Society is testing a technology that will allow us to travel farther than ever before - solar sailing! 

Artist depiction of LightSail in orbit. Image Credit

LightSail Test: Part 2!
  
Voyager 2, flying for nearly 40 years at incredible speeds, is the farthest away spacecraft that is still communicating with Earth. It is over 10 billion miles away from Earth (110 times farther away from the Sun as the Earth), and yet it would take Voyager 2 another 40,000 years to reach the nearest star system, if it were traveling in the right direction. 

If we ever want to explore other star systems, we will have to develop technologies that are more efficient than the propulsion systems we have used in the past 60 years.  The Planetary Society has led the effort in testing the concept of solar sails with its crowd-funded project, LightSail. Last year, they successfully deployed LightSail 1 in low Earth orbit. As planned, it was not high enough to escape the drag of Earth's atmosphere, so didn't do any real sailing, but the mission was a successful test of the sail deployment. There were some problems with the computer, cameras, and radio, so the team is learning from those problems for the next launch.

LightSail 1 deployed! Image Credit

The design of LightSail is very clever. The Society is taking advantage of the modular and relatively low cost satellite, CubeSat. CubeSats are small satellites, only 10 centimeters square, that use off-the-shelf electronic components and can be stacked together. LightSail is packed into three CubSats - it is about the size of a loaf of bread.

Image Credit

The small size allows LightSail to be a secondary payload on a bigger launch, making the project a fraction of the cost of a full-sized spacecraft. Even in such a small package, LightSail has attitude control, radio, cameras, solar and battery power, and a computer for command, control, and data processing. The sail unfolds to a size of about 340 square feet.

Louis Friedman and Bill Nye inspect the sail prior to launch. Image Credit

LightSail 2 is scheduled to launch in September 2016. This launch will take it up 450 miles, high enough to actually test its ability to solar sail - to be propelled by the momentum of light particles from the Sun. 

Image Credit

The Planetary Society is partnering with the Georgia Institute of Technology for LightSail 2. LightSail will be enclosed within Prox-1 for launch, a satellite that will inspect other spacecraft. This is a great partnership, because Prox-1 will be able to take pictures of LightSail after it deploys, helping mission engineers understand how far the sail booms extend, and the health of the spacecraft in general. Plus, we'll get pretty pictures.

I'm excited about this project. Solar sailing is an old concept, grounded in good science, and it should not be relegated to science fiction. It is great to see a real project test the concept. I am also excited because I am a member of the Planetary Society. I believe in their mission - to advocate for space science, to keep exploring. I value the fact that I can contribute to real missions that help further our understanding of the Universe. If you want to follow this mission, there are lots of ways to do it. You can follow the Planetary Society on Facebook and Twitter, you can check out LightSail's excellent website, and you can listen to Planetary Radio, which is a great way to keep up with space news. 

Of course, you can follow the Dome Planetarium on Facebook or Twitter too, and come see a show next time you visit the Peoria Riverfront Museum - we teach about space and science everyday. You can also join us for Space Cantina: Pub Night in a Galaxy Far, Far Away this Friday night! Tickets are available here.