{"id":117869,"date":"2024-10-24T15:43:51","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T08:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117869"},"modified":"2024-10-24T15:43:51","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T08:43:51","slug":"nasas-new-20m-spaceship-is-hurtling-through-space-uncontrollably-after-malfunctioning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117869","title":{"rendered":"NASA&#8217;s new $20m spaceship is hurtling through space uncontrollably after malfunctioning"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A new\u00a0<a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/nasa\/index.html\" id=\"mol-2b6280b0-917d-11ef-be4b-65c8c8664df0\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA<\/a> spaceship is tumbling through space uncontrollably as engineers on the ground work to fix an issue that caused the $20 million craft to lose control.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The agency&#8217;s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3), a craft with four reflective &#8216;sails&#8217; designed to test a new type of propulsion system, hit a snag when it unfurled the sails.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Engineers noticed a slight bend in one of the &#8216;booms,&#8217; or structural beams, that support the sails, impacting its ability to stay on course.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">NASA has kept ACS3&#8217;s attitude control system &#8211; which controls the orientation of a spacecraft &#8211; turned off engineers assess this damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">As a result, the microwave-sized spacecraft is currently careening through space.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">This mission is a test of new spaceflight technology that\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">uses the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, similar to the way a sailboat is powered by the wind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">One day, it could reduce the extremely high cost of\u00a0<\/span><a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-13083799\/astronomer-humans-travel-mars.html\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\" rel=\"noopener\">deep space missions<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">. But first, NASA will have to wrangle its runaway craft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\" style=\"\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"> <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-58cb206eaa7f187b\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/10\/23\/21\/91206281-13993583-image-a-49_1729715132565.jpg\" height=\"357\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is a microwave-sized spacecraft equipped with four reflective 'sails' designed to test a new type of propulsion system\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/> <\/div>\n<p> <noscript> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-58cb206eaa7f187b\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/10\/23\/21\/91206281-13993583-image-a-49_1729715132565.jpg\" height=\"357\" width=\"634\" alt=\"The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is a microwave-sized spacecraft equipped with four reflective 'sails' designed to test a new type of propulsion system\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/> <\/noscript> <\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is a microwave-sized spacecraft equipped with four reflective &#8216;sails&#8217; designed to test a new type of propulsion system<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">ACS3 launched from <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/new_zealand\/index.html\" id=\"mol-2b66ed80-917d-11ef-be4b-65c8c8664df0\" class=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">New Zealand<\/a>\u00a0aboard Rocket Lab&#8217;s Electron rocket on April 23.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Just a few months after the launch, the spacecraft&#8217;s sail got stuck when an onboard power monitor detected higher-than-expected motor currents and paused the unfurling process.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In late August, NASA successfully deployed the sails in a second attempt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But before doing so, engineers deactivated the spacecraft&#8217;s attitude control system in order to accommodate dynamic changes as the sails unfolded. It&#8217;s been turned off ever since.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Now, the discovery of this bend in one of the booms has delayed reactivation of the attitude control system further, as engineers work to assess the damage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;This likely occurred as the booms and sail were pulled taut to the spacecraft during deployment,&#8217; NASA&#8217;s update stated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Analysis indicates that the bend may have partially straightened over the weeks since boom deployment, while the spacecraft was slowly tumbling.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Engineers are currently working to reposition the spacecraft, keeping it in &#8216;low power mode&#8217; until its sails are oriented toward direct sunlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\" style=\"\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"> <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-29ca8fe262d1a989\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/10\/23\/21\/91205827-13993583-This_system_uses_sails_powered_by_the_pressure_of_sunlight_for_p-a-1_1729715296854.jpg\" height=\"478\" width=\"634\" alt=\"This system uses sails powered by the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, similar to the way a sailboat is powered by the wind\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/> <\/div>\n<p> <noscript> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-29ca8fe262d1a989\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/10\/23\/21\/91205827-13993583-This_system_uses_sails_powered_by_the_pressure_of_sunlight_for_p-a-1_1729715296854.jpg\" height=\"478\" width=\"634\" alt=\"This system uses sails powered by the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, similar to the way a sailboat is powered by the wind\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/> <\/noscript> <\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">This system uses sails powered by the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, similar to the way a sailboat is powered by the wind\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Once the team achieves that desired position, they will be able to re-engage the attitude control system and stop the spacecraft&#8217;s constant tumbling.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">At that point, the re-oriented spacecraft will be able to point its radio antenna toward mission control on Earth and communicate with the NASA engineers on the ground.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">This will allow engineers to gather even more data, calibrate the precise shape of the sail and prepare to begin its sailing maneuvers, according to NASA.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The sailing maneuvers will be the true test of this new propulsion system.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Engineers will angle the sails to change the spacecraft&#8217;s orbit, which is critical to their ability to maneuver\u00a0ACS3.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It&#8217;s currently located about 600 miles above Earth&#8217;s surface &#8211; twice as high as the\u00a0<a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/iss\/index.html\" id=\"mol-2b619650-917d-11ef-be4b-65c8c8664df0\" class=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">International Space Station<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Once the spacecraft entered sun-synchronous orbit &#8211; which allows a satellite to remain in-sync with the sun as it circles the Earth &#8211; NASA engineers disengaged the attitude control system and unfurled the sails.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The ACS3 mission was designed to test solar propulsion as a way to lower the cost of deep space missions, such as flights to Mars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The spacecraft&#8217;s four sails unfurl to form a 30-foot-wide silver square that is supported by two diagonal booms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">When light particles &#8211; or photons &#8211; from the sun impact these sails, it creates small bursts of momentum that propel the spacecraft forward, like a sailboat.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The force exerted by the sun\u2019s light is roughly equivalent to the weight of a paperclip resting on your palm, according to NASA,\u00a0just enough to allow the spacecraft to overcome atmospheric drag and gain altitude.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">NASA isn&#8217;t the first to test a solar sail propulsion system in space.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Planetary Society&#8217;s LightSail 2 launched in 2019 and <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-7334575\/LightSail-raised-orbit-driven-SUNLIGHT-milestone-achievement.html\" rel=\"noopener\">gained two miles of altitude two weeks after unfurling its 300-square-foot sail<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But the mission ended in disaster when the spacecraft began losing altitude and ultimately burned up in Earth&#8217;s atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">LightSail 2 inspired the\u00a0ACS3 mission. If NASA can prove this technology works,\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">it could significantly reduce the amount of fuel needed for deep space missions, saving the agency a lot of money.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Data collected from this flight test has already proven highly valuable, and the demonstration will continue producing critical information to enable future solar sail missions,&#8217; the agency wrote in a recent update.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-13993583\/NASAs-new-20m-spaceship-hurtling-space-uncontrollably-malfunctioning.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new\u00a0NASA spaceship is tumbling through space uncontrollably as engineers on the ground work to fix an issue that caused the $20 million craft to lose control. The agency&#8217;s Advanced &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117869\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8628],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=117869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117869\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=117869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=117869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=117869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}