Payload (satellite)
ACS3
OperationalLEO
United States
United StatesACS3 is a satellite launched 2024-04-23 by United States.
About
Solar sails are a method of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large surfaces. A number of spaceflight missions to test solar propulsion and navigation have been proposed since the 1980s. The two spacecraft to successfully use the technology for propulsion were IKAROS, launched in 2010, and LightSail-2, launched in 2019. A further demonstrator, Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3), was launched in 2024, and deployed successfully but is not being actively controlled due to a fault.
Right now
Dotted: where it has been. Solid: the next orbit and a half. Orbit data from CelesTrak, map from NASA Blue Marble. All credits
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Facts
NORAD ID59588
International designator2024-077B
TypePayload (satellite)
StatusOperational
OwnerUnited States
Launch date2024-04-23
Launch siteRocket Lab, New Zealand
Orbital period103 min
Inclination97.26°
Apogee936 km
Perigee860 km