Japanese Solar Sail Spacecraft IKAROS to Launch Tuesday May 18th

JAXA, The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is getting ready to launch the Venus Climate Orbiter “Akatsuki” on May 18th. It’s launching partner will be a Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator “IKAROS.” The two vessels will move to the launch pad May 17th.

IKAROS or Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun is a “Solar Sail.” The term Solar Sail means, in this case, a spaceship with a large membrane that gathers and uses sunlight to propel it through space. The solar power aspect comes from the thin film solar cells on the membrane. This is a “demonstrator” craft. So, if the ion-propulsion engines are driven by the solar cells, they can become a hybrid engine that’s combined with photon acceleration that will conserve fuel.

A solar sail can move forward without consuming propellant as long as it can generate enough energy from sunlight.

The IKAROS weighs approximately 700 pounds and at the sail’s diagonal stretches 66 feet. Not only are thin film cells attached to the membrane but also an attitude control device as well scientific observation sensors.

Both the Akatsuki and the IKAROS are being sent toward Venus. If things go well, the IKAROS will continue it’s 3 year journey to orbit the far side of the sun.

The launch of the Akatsuki and the IKAROS will take place Tuesday May 18th at Tanegashima Space Center.

More details at Space.com.

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