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The basic design is an unmanned spacecraft, consisting of eight triangular sail blades, each 15 m long, deployed from a central hub after launch by inflating structural tubes. After deployment the blades can be articulated to control the amount and direction of thrust.
A suborbital test was attempted in 2001 with only two sail blades. The spacecraft failed to separate from the rocket, so the test was not successful.
An orbital spacecraft with a full complement of eight sail blades is currently planned for launch in a window starting on March 1, 2005, on a Volna rocket from a converted SS-N-18 Russian submarine in the Barents Sea. The goal is to get it into a 800 x 1000 km elliptical orbitFor other meanings of the term "orbit", see orbit (disambiguation In physics, an orbit is the path that an object makes, around another object, whilst under the influence of a source of centripetal force, such as gravity. History Orbits were first analyse. This craft may also be used to measure the effect of artificial microwaveThis page is about the radiation; for the appliance, see microwave oven. Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with a wavelength longer than infrared light, but shorter than radio waves. Microwaves, also known as Super High Frequency (SHF signals, have wavs aimed at it from a radarThis article is about the device. For the fictional character in M A S H see Corporal Walter (Radar) O'Reilly. antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. Radar is an acronym for ra dio d etec installation. Once in orbit, the mission is expected to end within a month as the mylarMylar is a trade name of DuPont Teijin Films of Hopewell, VA for biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BOPET) polyester film used for its high tensile strength, chemical and dimensional stability, transparency, and electrical insulation. A variet of the blades degrades in sunlight.
The craft should be visible to the naked eyeA naked eye is a figure of speech, referring to human eyes unaided by enhancing equipment such as a telescope or binoculars. Often used in astronomy when referring to events that can be viewed by the general public, for example astronomical conjunctions, from most of the Earth's surface: the planned orbit has an inclinationInclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit and is the angular distance of the orbital plane from the plane of the reference (usually planet's equator or the ecliptic), stated in degrees. of 78°, so it should be visible up to latitudeLatitude denoted φ, gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the Equator. Latitude is an angular measurement ranging from 0° at the Equator to 90° at the poles. Usually, the difference in latitude largely affects the climate and/or weas of up to at least 78° north and south.
A second orbital spacecraft is under construction, but the decision to launch has yet to be made at the time of writing.
One of Cosmos 1's solar sail blades was displayed at the Rockefeller CenterPaul Manship's 1934 statue of Prometheus on the Lower Plaza at Rockefeller Center. Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings between 48th and 51st street in New York. It's located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, straddling both Fifth.