Even without an engine, this NASA satellite failed

© NASA

To move an object through space, two solutions are commonly used. The first, obvious one, is propulsion. Engines are used to move a rocket or a satellite forward. The thrust force moves the object through the void.

The other, more economical solution is to use gravity to your advantage. If we are not aware of it on Earth, gravity is a force that “attracts” matter. By getting closer to a massive object you can “fall” towards it and thus accelerate.

These two methods have been used for decades, notably by NASA, to send satellites into space and probes on more distant missions. But the American space agency launched a mission of a different type last spring.

Photonic propulsion

The goal was to move a small satellite (as big as a microwave oven) using only the power of the Sun. No question of using motors and solar panels, but rather a very thin sail. By hitting the latter, the photons of light were to move the object very slowly. This is where photonic propulsion comes in.

This is the technique that NASA wanted to put to the test with a satellite launched last April. But when trying to unfold the sail, things got complicated. One of the motors detected an electrical overload, causing the deployment to be paused.

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Waiting for the end of the stand-byNASA has assured that communications and data exchange with the satellite are still operational. Engineers at the American space agency hope to resolve this problem in the coming weeks. During a recent press briefing, NASA was rather reassuring about the future of this mission.

Solar sails: a space pipe dream

This idea of ​​a solar sail is not new. Several missions have already taken place to test this technology. Although the uses are still very limited, we can mention the Japanese IKAROS mission launched in 2010 and which has met with some success.

In the suburbs of Paris, another company is working on this technology, Gama Space. The company is supported by CNES (the National Center for Space Studies). It managed to launch a first solar sail at the beginning of 2023.

In the long term, the French start-up hopes to launch exploration missions in deep space. According to its founder, Louis de Gouyon-Matignon, the company could send micro-probes to Venus or Jupiter without the need for engines. A revolution in space exploration.

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