main page newsspace newslaunching a satellite with a solar sail was moved to may 21

Launching a satellite with a solar sail was moved to May 21. / May 20, 2010 /

Launch of Japanese rocket carrying the satellite which are with a solar sail, moving through the solar wind, and the apparatus for the study of Venus has been postponed till May 21. Reported portal Space.com.

Originally it was planned that the start of rocket H-IIA on 18 number, but it was canceled due to bad weather at the Tanegashima Space Center (Tanegashima). The new start time — May 21, 1:58 Moscow time.

Apparatus for the study of Venus was named «Akatsuki» (translated from the Japanese word that means «dawn»). It is designed for detailed study of Venusian climate, atmosphere and surface of the planet. It is expected that the «Akatsuki» gets to Venus, in December and hold in its orbit for at least two years.

Satellite with a solar sail, called Ikaros (short for Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun — interplanetary sailing apparatus, moving through the solar radiation) also gets to Venus, along with «Akatsuki», but then go on toward the sun. Parus satellite is a square piece of thin membrane with a diagonal of 20 meters. Ikaros will not perform serious research. The purpose of its creators — to explore the features of motion apparatus using the solar wind.

Earlier, the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) has experienced vehicles with a solar sail in near-Earth space and the maximum objective for these devices were properly open the sail, which at the time of launch is minimized.

Print version