Solar Cruiser
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Mission typeTechnology, Heliophysics
OperatorNASA
Spacecraft typeSolar sail
DimensionsSail: 1,672 m2 (18,000 sq ft)
| Mission type | Technology, Heliophysics |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Solar sail |
| Dimensions | Sail: 1,672 m2 (18,000 sq ft) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | February 2025 (proposed)[1] |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Sun orbiter | |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Inclination | Polar |
| Instruments | |
| Coronagraph | |
Solar Cruiser was a planned NASA spacecraft that would have studied the Sun while propelled by a solar sail.[2][3] The mission would have supported NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program by studying how interplanetary space changes in response to the constant outpouring of energy and particles from the Sun and how it interacts with planetary atmospheres.[3] It was expected to launch as a rideshare payload alongside IMAP in February 2025.[1] However, the spacecraft was not selected for further development and project closeout efforts concluded in 2023.[4]
The principal investigator was Les Johnson at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.[3]
