The solar sail craft is different. Big enough to be visible from the Earth's surface, it consists of eight adjustable blades in two tiers. It is one of the largest instruments ever launched into space.
The blades are made of 0.0002-inch-thick Mylar. The idea is to gather the maximum amount of light at the lowest cost in terms of weight.
Once the craft launches, it will settle into an orbit 511 miles above the Earth and will circle it every 100 minutes. The sail won't be unfurled for four days, to allow any air in the container to leak away. If it is opened prematurely, the explosive release of air could damage the delicate spacecraft.
Once unfurled, the sail blades can be adjusted to keep the sun at the best receiving angle as the craft orbits Earth. If everything works the way it should, and the sun cooperates, the photons from the sun should lift the spacecraft into a higher orbit.
Under perfect conditions, Friedman said, Cosmos 1 might boost its orbit 31 to 62 miles over the expected 30-day life of the mission.
Facebook
Twitter