NASA Invites Media to See Largest Solar Sail Section Ever Deployed

	November 07, 2022  MEDIA ADVISORY M22-016 NASA Invites Media to See Largest Solar Sail Section Ever Deployed Cruising through space on sunlight will be the focus of a media event from 10-11 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Members of the media are invited to take pictures and video of NASA’s newest solar sail after a after a successful deployment test in Building 4316 at Marshall. The sail is a full-scale prototype of one of the four sections, or quadrants, designed for the Solar Cruiser spacecraft. Solar sails use the force of light – not rocket fuel – to fly in deep space. They get a gentle, constant push from sunlight particles, or photons, hitting their giant reflective surfaces. Over time, solar sails can travel farther than traditional spacecraft, faster, and maybe one day reach other stars. NASA and industry partners used two 100-foot lightweight composite booms to unfurl the 4,300-square-foot (400-square-meter) sail quadrant for the first time on Oct. 13, making it the largest solar sail quadrant ever deployed. The fully deployed sail covers an area larger than the surface of a tennis court with an aluminum-coated plastic material that’s thinner than a human hair. Some of the people involved in developing and testing these innovative solar sail technologies will be available to answer questions. Participants include: Mike Gold, Redwire Space’s executive vice president for civil space and external affairs Les Johnson, NASA’s principal investigator for Solar Cruiser Leslie McNutt, NASA’s deputy project manager for Solar Cruiser Jim Moore, NeXolve Holding Company’s president and chief executive officer To attend, media should contact Molly Porter at molly.a.porter@xxxxxxxx or 256-424-5158 by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8. Media should plan to arrive at Gate 9 of the Redstone Arsenal Joint Visitor Control Center at the Interstate 565 interchange of Rideout Road and Research Park Boulevard no later than 9:45 a.m. for badging.
	Press Contacts Molly Porter NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center 256-424-5158 molly.a.porter@xxxxxxxx
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