CubeSail (UltraSail)
Mission type | Technology: solar sail propulsion |
---|---|
Operator | NASA / University of Illinois |
Website | cubesail and cuaerospace |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | 2 × 1.5 U CubeSats |
Manufacturer | University of Illinois |
Launch mass | ~ 3 kg |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 16 December 2018[1] |
Rocket | Electron |
Launch site | Rocket Lab LC-1 |
Contractor | Rocket Lab |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
CubeSail was a 2018 low-cost spacecraft propulsion demonstration mission using two identical 1.5U CubeSat satellites to deploy a 260 m (850 ft) long, 20 m2 (220 sq ft) solar sail ribbon between them.[2] This mission was a first in a series of increasingly-complex planned demonstrations leading up to a full-scale UltraSail heliogyro[3] by the University of Illinois and CU Aerospace.[needs update]
Background: Heliogyro
[edit]UltraSail is a proposed type of robotic spacecraft that uses radiation pressure exerted by sunlight for propulsion. It builds upon the "heliogyro" concept[4] by Richard H. MacNeal, published in 1971,[5][6][3] and consists of multiple rotating blades attached to a central hub.
The Heliogyro spacecraft's attitude (orientation), and therefore thrust direction, would be controlled by changing the cyclic and collective blade pitch similar to a helicopter.
Although the Heliogyro design has no mass advantage over a square sail, it remains attractive because the method of deploying large sail blades is simpler than a strut-based design.[7] Blade stiffness is achieved by spinning the spacecraft (centrifugal force) with its rotational axis generally pointing at the Sun.
CubeSail spacecraft
[edit]Overview
[edit]The University of Illinois together with CU Aerospace designed this mission to demonstrate deployment and to measure the thrust on a 7.7 cm × 250 m membrane (about 20 m2) made of aluminized mylar. The membrane is deployed between two 1.5U CubeSats that separate from each other in low Earth orbit. It is intended as a first step towards the development of the larger solar sail concept called UltraSail.
Re-orientation of the CubeSats will cause the sail to undergo aerodynamic drag in the upper atmosphere for its disposal.
Selection
[edit]The spacecraft was selected in 2012 by NASA to be launched as part of the ELaNa program.[8][9][10]
Launch
[edit]CubeSail was launched on an Electron launch vehicle[11] on 16 December 2018 from New Zealand.[1][12]
While "satellite beacons at the correct frequency were observed post-launch once on 18 Dec. 2018", there was not "sufficient signal to noise ratio to demodulate the call sign in the beacons.", and "no further communications were received from CubeSail".[13]
Follow-on
[edit]I-sail
[edit]The proposed second mission of the project is called I-Sail, proposed to be launched in 2022, and would consist of a 25 kg (55 lb) spacecraft with bilateral blades with a total sail area of 2,500 m2.[14] It will demonstrate thrust levels many times those of ion thrusters used for deep space missions and perform an Earth gravity escape.[14] Several science objectives are being assessed as secondary objectives.[14] The project is being funded by NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.[15]
UltraSail
[edit]CubeSail and I-Sail are intended as steps towards the development of a larger (1,600 kg[16]) solar sail concept called UltraSail for interplanetary and interstellar missions.[17] This last consists of multiple CubeSail-like structures that extend kilometers long film blades attached to a central hub to ultimately form a heliogyro. The UltraSail blade material, the body of the solar sail, is mounted on multiple reels, each with a width of 5–10 m, and deployed to a blade length up to 5 km (3.1 mi)[16] for a total 100,000 m2 of sail area.[2][3] The spacecraft spins around the central hub to flatten the blades by centrifugal force, supported by tip-CubeSats. For the kilometre long blades' stability, this requires a rotational period of 1–2 hours so they overcome the solar pressure force by 3 to 5 times. Each blade is a thin polyimide film coated with ripstop.[16]
For UltraSail, blade control (and hence the spacecraft's attitude control) is initiated by small controllable mini-satellites (tipsat) at the tip of each blade.[16][18] The tipsat mass provides a stabilizing centrifugal force on the blade while in rotation. Each tipsat would be a 5-meter long carbon-fiber structure with a total mass of 50 kg, including avionics and 20 kg propellant (catalyzed nitrous oxide (N2O) and cold gas).[16] Alternatively, the tipsats could be propelled with electric microthrusters to control blade pitch.[19]
The maximum expected thrust force due to solar pressure is equivalent to 400 kW ion thruster systems used for comparable deep space missions.[19]
See also
[edit]- IKAROS, a Japanese solar sail, launched in May 2010
- NanoSail-D2, the successor to NanoSail-D, launched in November 2010
- LightSail, a controlled solar sail CubeSat launched in July 2019
- Near-Earth Asteroid Scout, a solar sail CubeSat currently planned to launch in 2020
- Sunjammer, a solar sail that was cancelled before launch in 2014
References
[edit]- ^ a b Small Satellite Design and Testing Laboratory Archived 2018-01-28 at the Wayback Machine - CubeSail. University of Illinois. 2018.
- ^ a b CubeSail Homesite. CU Aerospace. Accessed on 30 December 2018.
- ^ a b c Initial Development of the CubeSail/UltraSail Spacecraft. R. L. Burton, J. K. Laystrom-Woodard, G. F. Benavides, D. L. Carroll, V. L. Coverstone, G. R. Swenson, A. Pukniel, A. Ghosh, and A. D. Moctezuma. (2010)
- ^ "Heliogyro". SolarSailWiki. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ MacNeal, R. H. (1971). Structural Dynamics of the Heliogyro (Report). NASA-CR-1745A.
- ^ Burton, R.; Coverstone, V.; Hargens-Rysanek, J.; Ertmer, K.; Botter, T.; Benavides, G.; Woo, B.; Carroll, D.; Gierow, P. (July 2005). UltraSail - Ultra-Lightweight Solar Sail Concept (PDF). 41st AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit. Tucson, Arizona: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. doi:10.2514/6.2005-4117. ISBN 978-1-62410-063-5. AIAA 2005-4117.
- ^ "Design & Construction". NASA JPL. Archived from the original on 2005-03-11.
- ^ Anna Heiney, ELaNa 19: CubeSail, NASA, Dec. 10, 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ CubeSail. Gunter's Space Page, 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ CubeSat Launch Initiative. NASA. Upcoming ELaNa CubeSat Launches. 2018.
- ^ STUDENT CUBESAIL SATELLITE LAUNCH IMMINENT, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois, Dec. 06, 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ Pietrobon, Steven. "New Zealand Launch Record (2009 to present)". Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ^ "Welcome". www.cubesail.us. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
- ^ a b c I-Sail: 2500-Square-Meter Solar Sail Prototype Demonstrator. NASA SBIR 2017 Solicitation. 19 April 2017.
- ^ ELaNa 19: CubeSail. NASA. 10 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d e R. L. Burton, J. K. Laystrom-Woodard, G. F. Benavides, D. L. Carroll, V. L. Coverstone, G. R. Swenson, A. Pukniel, A. Ghosh, and A. D. Moctezuma Initial development of the CubeSail UltraSail spacecraft. 27 August 2014.
- ^ NASA to Launch Two Small AE Satellites. Aerospace Illinois. 22 February 2012.
- ^ Design Concept for a Solar Sail with Individually Controllable Elements. (PDF) Tong Luo, Ming Xu, and Qingyu Qu. Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. 2017. doi:10.2514/1.A33775