M42 Orion Nebula © Hubble

Setting Sail to Travel Through Space: 5 Things to Know about our New Mission

Our Advanced Composite Solar Sail System will launch aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand no earlier than April 23, at 6 p.m. EDT. This mission will demonstrate the use of innovative materials and structures to deploy a next-generation solar sail from a CubeSat in low Earth orbit.

Here are five things to know about this upcoming mission:

1. Sailing on Sunshine

Solar sails use the pressure of sunlight for propulsion much like sailboats harness the wind, eliminating the need for rocket fuel after the spacecraft has launched. If all goes according to plan, this technology demonstration will help us test how the solar sail shape and design work in different orbits.

2. Small Package, Big Impact

The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft is a CubeSat the size of a microwave, but when the package inside is fully unfurled, it will measure about 860 square feet (80 square meters) which is about the size of six parking spots. Once fully deployed, it will be the biggest, functional solar sail system – capable of controlled propulsion maneuvers – to be tested in space.

3. Second NASA Solar Sail in Space

If successful, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System will be  the second NASA solar sail to deploy in space, and not only will it be much larger, but this system will also test navigation capabilities to change the spacecraft’s orbit. This will help us gather data for future missions with even larger sails.

4. BOOM: Stronger, Lighter Booms

Just like a sailboat mast supports its cloth sails, a solar sail has support beams called booms that provide structure. The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System mission’s primary objective is to deploy a new type of boom. These booms are made from flexible polymer and carbon fiber materials that are stiffer and 75% lighter than previous boom designs. They can also be flattened and rolled like a tape measure. Two booms spanning the diagonal of the square (23 feet or about 7 meters in length) could be rolled up and fit into the palm of your hand!

5. It’s a bird...it’s a plane...it’s our solar sail!

About one to two months after launch, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft will deploy its booms and unfurl its solar sail. Because of its large size and reflective material, the spacecraft may be visible from Earth with the naked eye if the lighting conditions and orientation are just right!

To learn more about this mission that will inform future space travel and expand our understanding of our Sun and solar system, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission/acs3/.

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Stardust From Comet Halley Falls To Earth

Grains of Cosmic Dust: the Eta Aquarids l Petr Horalek 

Approximately 1 billion light years across, the largest known structure in the universe consists of 830 galaxies nestled within 4 connecting galaxy clusters.

As above, so below.

Credits to the lovely people over at NASA and ESA. Image by Science Photo Library.

Instagram: @ spacestrikes

Birds of a Feather by Hubble Space Telescope / ESA

Before you ask, yes, we see that face-shaped cloud made of dust and gas (with stars for eyes) on the right side of this image as well.  

But the Tarantula Nebula is a far wilder place than weird red blobs. It is a large star-forming region of ionized hydrogen gas that lies 161,000 light-years from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Its turbulent clouds of gas and dust can be seen swirling between the region’s luminous, newly formed stars.

Also known as 30 Doradus, it is the brightest star-forming region in our galactic neighborhood and home to the hottest, most massive stars known. This makes it an excellent natural laboratory to test theories of star formation and evolution. 

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Murray, E. Sabbi; Y.-H. Chu.

40 million light-years away!! This is the Spanish Dancer also known as spiral galaxy NGC 1566. The symmetry of this glittering galactic swirl is phenomenal. The beautifully geometric NGC 1566 is home to billions of stars. yes, billions!! This galaxy, as do all galaxies, shines testament to the infinite creativity and mighty power of Almighty God.

NGC 7023, Iris

Galaxy Collision in Action (NASA, Chandra, 7/09/09) by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

What is physics of the gravitational force

General relativity and

Classics mechanics has their definition on gravitation and formulae accordingly to the context

The Hypothetical theory ...

With the consideration of string theory and models. Gravitation is taken into consideration and account for explanation.

How the gravitation is spread in every dimension.

With theory representing no. of dimensions ( like bosonic, M theory, and others)

Gravitation is spread ....

Speaking of dimensions in 5 6 7 8 9 ... The whole lot of conspiracy theory on gravitation and mystical answers can be solved.

Gravity and the space time tend to behave proportionally.

The gravitational force is formed with 2 bodies with a mass. And therefore the physics of it relies on the 2 mass bodies with the respective constituent and variations that are happening.

For example. Take 2 stars or 2 dwarfs or space time with a considerate light years of galaxy in and around.

And the mass and density with X( Gev) and Y ( Gev), corresponding a gravitational force or imbibing a force in the space time with the formulation perceived with the general theory of relativity and classical mechanics.

From research point of view : the physics of the force may clearly interchange with the mass and density of a celestial bodies which is included and comprised under the space time.

#gravitational #celestialBodies #physicsForce #astrophysics #gtavity