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threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works

Europe funds inflatable satellite drag sail demonstration (spacenews.com)

submitted 6 days ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/esa@feddit.nl

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[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The system is designed to be initially 20 square centimeters in size but would inflate about 7,500 times larger to around 1.5 square meters, increasing atmospheric drag to accelerate deorbiting.

The only thing more impressive than seeing that expand out would be watching them pack it down.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Now I'm imagining bits of the sail bulging out of the rocket fairing like a hastily-packed sleeping bag at the end of a camping trip.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

After decades of camping, I only recently found out most (modern) sleeping bags are actually meant to be stuffed in their bags, not rolled up. Just kinda keep stuffing it in there and they seem to naturally fill gaps better than if they were rolled up first, so they're easier and much faster to pack away.

There's a random LPT for ya.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

Huh, TIL. Thanks!