| The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and The Planetary Society ( TPS ) will launch the mission support campaign together for IKAROS and LightSail-1. |
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IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun) is a solar sail which gathers sunlight as propulsion by means of a large sail. This spacecraft will be launched in 2010 together with the Venus Climate Orbiter, "AKATSUKI"(PLANET-C), using the H-IIA launch vehicle. This will be the world's first solar power sail craft employing both photon propulsion and thin film solar power generation during its interplanetary cruise.
IKAROS's membrane is square, with a diagonal distance of 20m. The destination of the IKAROS is not specific but will be flown toward the Venus. |
TPS is developing a spacecraft which is called as gLightSail-1h that will sail on the earth revolving orbit by the end of 2010. They, TPS, are one of the biggest organizations in the world to promote space exploration's project, outreach activity and public information.
LightSail-1 is an ultra-light spacecraft with a mass of less than 5 kilograms. With a sail area of approximately 32 square meters, its goal is to fly in Earth orbit to demonstrate control the attitude and orbit and increase the velocity under sunlight pressure. |
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| In this campaign, we will accept your names and messages both from Japan and overseas and carry them on IKAROS and LightSail-1. |
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