Abstract
Deorbitsail is a 3U Cubesat project that will launch, deploy, and support a large drag sail deorbiting payload. The flight payload sail system will deploy to 5 by 5 meters, increasing the frontal area of the spacecraft dramatically. A series of 4-by-4-meter sail deployments has been performed with a prototype of the proposed system. The prototype system tests included partial deployments in environmental chambers and full-scale deployment at ambient lab conditions. Design changes arising from testing of the sail system prototype are described in this paper. Engineering model construction is underway and the Deorbitsail launch will be in 2014. Deorbitsail is a European Commission 7th Framework Programme project with nine partner organizations. © 2013 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.