NASA’s solar-sailing spacecraft has a bent boom in Earth orbit (photo)

NASA’s ambitious solar-sailing spacecraft, the Sunjammer, has encountered a setback in Earth orbit: one of its booms, designed to deploy a 400-foot-wide (122-meter) solar sail, is bent. This incident occurred on June 6 during a test, leaving mission engineers scrambling to understand the problem.

The Sunjammer is a revolutionary mission, hoping to demonstrate the potential of using solar sails, which are essentially large, reflective sheets that capture energy from sunlight for propulsion. This method offers a highly efficient, propellant-free means of traveling through space.

The problem arose during a crucial deployment test where the 122-foot (37-meter) long boom, carrying one of the four sections of the solar sail, failed to extend fully, resulting in a significant bend. Engineers are working tirelessly to understand the cause of this issue, utilizing available telemetry data.

“The team is evaluating the available telemetry data to determine the root cause of the issue,” a NASA spokesperson said. “Engineers are investigating the failure and looking at all possible scenarios to determine the best course of action.”

The bent boom is a major concern for the mission. It raises serious questions about the deployment of the entire solar sail, which is necessary for the Sunjammer to achieve its scientific goals. This setback has the potential to delay the mission, requiring significant adjustments and possibly even redesigning aspects of the spacecraft.

While the details of the failure remain unclear, engineers believe it’s crucial to conduct a thorough analysis to understand what went wrong. Once the cause is identified, they can then strategize on how to proceed, either by fixing the current problem, modifying the design, or potentially resorting to a backup plan.

This incident highlights the challenges associated with developing complex, pioneering technologies. The Sunjammer mission exemplifies the unpredictable nature of space exploration, emphasizing the importance of careful planning, rigorous testing, and the ability to adapt to unexpected situations.

Despite the current setback, NASA and the Sunjammer team remain determined to overcome this obstacle. Their ultimate goal is to successfully demonstrate the potential of solar sailing as a sustainable, efficient, and revolutionary method for deep space exploration. It’s important to remember that failure is an inherent part of the scientific process, serving as valuable learning opportunities that drive future progress.

As the investigation unfolds, updates and more information on the situation are expected to be released by NASA. The outcome of this investigation will ultimately decide the fate of the Sunjammer mission and the future of solar sailing technology. The world awaits the next chapter in this exciting journey into the realm of space exploration.

**More on space exploration:**

• NASA’s ‘Psyche’ mission is headed to a metallic asteroid
• Mysterious ‘X-shaped’ object is forming in a galactic core
• SpaceX has been flying Starlink satellites since 2019. See how the mega-constellation is growing.
• NASA is investigating this mystery ‘door’ on Mars