Is Japan JAXA’s Solar Sail IKAROS a Solution for Energy Crisis?

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We are living in an age of maximum globalization which has been enhanced by rapid modernization. But every progress has a price tag attached to it. With every step mankind is taking towards future, the more the crisis for energy source is getting severe. With all the non-renewable energy source getting depleted at a faster rate, search for an alternative energy source has taken the topmost priority for the scientists all over the world. With a mission to provide pollution-free energy, JAXA has introduced IKAROS as one of the most potential solution for energy Crisis.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has launched an experimental aircraft named IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun) abroad an H-IIA rocket, together with Akatuski (the Venus Climate Orbiter) on May 21, this year.

IKAROS is nearly 200 meter in length and square in shape. It was deployed using spinning motion using 0.5kg tip mass. It spins at 20-25 revolutions per minute and has finished unfurling its sail on 11 June 2010. The craft contains two tiny ejectable cameras, DCAM1 and DCAM2. DCAM2 was used to visualise the sail after deployment on 14 July 2010.

On June 10, JAXA officially confirmed that IKAROS was successfully expanded and was generating power through its thin film solar cells at about 770 km from the Earth.

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IKAROS uses photons from the sun to generate solar energy. It converts sunlight as propulsion by means of a large membrane. A solar “Power” sail receives energy from the energy cells attached to the membrane in addition to acceleration by solar radiation. This is the world’s first solar powered sail craft employing both photon propulsion and thin film solar power generation during its interplanetary cruise.
IKAROS project was developed to see whether fabrics made from tiny solar cells could generate motion in space. This solar sail generated power can be a great solution for energy generation in certain types of space transmissions.

It plans to demonstrate four key technologies: (refer to picture given above)

1. Deployment and control of a large, thin solar sail membrane (blue areas numbered 3)
2. Thin-film solar cells integrated into the sail to power the payload (black rectangles numbered 4)
3. Measurement of acceleration due to radiation pressure on the solar sail
4. Attitude control via variable reflectance liquid crystal panels (yellow rectangles numbered 2)

The deployment of IKAROS was done in two different stages. In first stage, the polymide membrane is released statically and in second stage, the membrane is deployed dynamically. The shape of the membrane is square, with a diagonal distance of 20m.

The mission also includes investigations of aspects of interplanetary space, such as the gamma-ray burst, solar wind and cosmic dust.

After the success of IKAROS, JAXA is prepared to launch a second mission which will take place in the late 2010s. It will involve a large sized solar power sail with a diameter of 50m, and will have integrated ion-propulsion engines. The destinations of the spacecraft will be Jupiter and the Trojan asteroids.

Solar Sail concept has become very popular after IKAROS success. It is now being researched and studied in USA and European countries. But JAXA has surly become the pioneer in this field. JAXA’s effort in using solar energy via solar sail will lead to lower cost in the solar cell market. This will indirectly help in the growth of pollution free and global warming preventive energy sources. In fact, this low cost energy cells will also be the foundation of future solar power satellite systems. Let’s hope IKAROS success will expand international communication and deepen people’s understandings on energy savings or energy crisis. Projects like this are surely our hope for a healthy green future on Earth.