Futuristic solar sail space experiment

LightSail 2 is the second of three satellites built to demonstrate the feasibility of powering a spacecraft using solar radiation


70m
Payload: Composed of 25 small spacecraft
10cm
Prox-1: Nanosatellite launches LightSail 2

Mini-DVD: Carries names and photos of LightSail supporters

Sail 
Boom

Falcon Heavy: First commercial flight of launch vehicle
Antenna
5.66m
Power: 27 x Merlin 1D engines produce same thrust as around 18 Boeing 747s
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STOWED CONFIGURATION
Structure: Device occupies 3 CubeSat modules – small, cost-effective spacecraft comprising 1-litre volume cubes
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SOLAR PANELS DEPLOY
Two cameras: Transmit images of unfurling
TRAC (Triangular Rollable and Collapsible) booms unfurl four sails
Deployment motor
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BOOM AND SAILS RELEASED
Human to scale*
4m
Mylar sail:4.5 microns thick, 25% thick as garbage bag
Total area: 32m2
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Photons transfer to sail, generating continuous acceleration
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April 2019: LightSail 2 to demonstrate controlled solar sailing in Earth orbit 

Jun 2015: LightSail 1 successfully performs solar sail deployment test

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Source: The Planetary Society *Mission is unmanned © GRAPHIC NEWS