Skip to main content

Aerospace Products

Solar Sails

NanoSail-D (NSD)

NeXolve was part of the NASA and industry team that developed the NanoSail-D mission CubeSat payload. The 10m2 drag sail and deployable metallic booms were both designed and fabricated by NeXolve. The payload was launched into low earth orbit, successfully deployed, and functioned as a drag sail by accelerating re-entry of the CubeSat payload.

Near Earth Asteroid Scout (NEAS)

NeXolve is part of the NASA and industry team that has developed the NEAS mission and payload. The mission will use solar sail propulsion to deliver a science payload to an orbital rendezvous with an asteroid passing in the “near” vicinity of the earth. NeXolve designed and developed the 86m2 monolithic solar sail made from CP1 film with a reflective coating. NeXolve also designed and fabricated the deployable metallic booms used to deploy and support the solar sail. NeXolve supported ground testing and packaging of the payload with the deployment mechanism. NEAS will be launched and deployed on the maiden voyage of the NASA SLS launch vehicle.

Solar Cruiser

NeXolve is part of the new NASA and industry team developing the Solar Cruiser mission and payload. Solar Cruiser is a >1600m2 solar sail propulsion technology demonstration mission that will travel from LEO to a L1 orbit and then move out of the ecliptic plane. This orbital position will enable the collection of helio-physics data with a view of the solar poles. Solar Cruiser will enable future helio-physics missions with football field-sized solar sails. The Solar Cruiser Sail is built from 2.5 micron CP1 film with a reflective VDA coating.

Commercial Drag Sails

NeXolve designs and develops drag sails and deployable metallic booms for the commercial CubeSat market. These drag sails are made from NeXolve’s CP1 thin films and from NeXolve’s atomic oxygen resistance CORIN thin films. NeXolve is also developing a drag sail design that can morph from 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional shape to mitigate spacecraft tumbling and support a targeted reentry.