this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2024
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NASA's solar sail successfully spreads its wings in space (www.space.com)
submitted 1 month ago by kalkulat to c/science
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[–] kalkulat 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Haven't heard about the NASA design yet, but JAXA's 2010 IKAROS used "Eighty blocks of LCD panels are embedded in the sail, whose reflectance can be adjusted for attitude contro ".

[–] Cocodapuf 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

That's such a badass design, I love it.

A variable thrust and thrust vectoring propulsion system with no moving parts. I doubt that's ever been done before...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Oh wow interesting. So using LCD is more efficient in weight than using motors to tilt the sails? Or maybe the advantage is not having to counter any sail movement with gyroscopes... which cost energy too.

[–] Cocodapuf 1 points 1 month ago

Or maybe the advantage is not having to counter any sail movement with gyroscopes... which cost energy too.

I think you nailed it right there.