ACS3

ACS3 (during deployment) [NASA Ames]

ACS3 (deployed) [NASA Ames]

ACS3 (Advanced Composite Solar Sail System)is a technology demonstration designed to characterize solar sail structures technologies for future small spacecraft to engage in deep space missions requiring long-duration, low-thrust propulsion.

The deployable composite boom and solar sail technologies demonstrated will guide the development of a larger mission-capable CubeSat-class solar sail propulsion system to be demonstrated in the 2025 timeframe.

ACS3 is built to the 12U CubeSat standard. It features four 7 m long deployable composite booms to span a ~80 m² solar sail with 9.0 m edge length consisting of four 20 m² aluminized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) solar sail quadrants.

The ACS3 project is a partnership between NASA Ames Research Center and NASA Langley Research Center, with support from the NASA Small Spacecraft Technology Program. It was selected in 2019 by NASA for launch by the CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). Launch is expected in 2021.

It was selected in 2019 by NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) to be launched as part of the ELaNa program.