Session
Poster Session 1
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
Sailing to the Stars is a mission led by students at Cornell University that will use the International Space Station (ISS) to gather data related to the deployment of free-flying light sails in microgravity. As this light sail architecture is relatively new, additional information on how the sail deploys and the optimal deployment system is desired. This information is relevant for guiding the design of future missions that use this technology. For this experiment, astronauts shall deploy six light sails from two different CubeSat-scale deployer designs within the ISS. Video footage and IMU data will be recorded throughout the experiment, which shall be used to analyze the six deployment events. The team’s primary objective is to gain deeper insight into the advantages and disadvantages of each design based on the stability of the sail and the deployer post-deployment. This hardware is slated to launch to the ISS on the SpaceX Crew 11 mission scheduled for late Summer 2025.
Document Type
Event
Sailing to the Stars: Free-Flying Light Sails in Microgravity
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Sailing to the Stars is a mission led by students at Cornell University that will use the International Space Station (ISS) to gather data related to the deployment of free-flying light sails in microgravity. As this light sail architecture is relatively new, additional information on how the sail deploys and the optimal deployment system is desired. This information is relevant for guiding the design of future missions that use this technology. For this experiment, astronauts shall deploy six light sails from two different CubeSat-scale deployer designs within the ISS. Video footage and IMU data will be recorded throughout the experiment, which shall be used to analyze the six deployment events. The team’s primary objective is to gain deeper insight into the advantages and disadvantages of each design based on the stability of the sail and the deployer post-deployment. This hardware is slated to launch to the ISS on the SpaceX Crew 11 mission scheduled for late Summer 2025.
