The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing for the launch of its Advanced Composite Solar Sail System mission on Wednesday, April 24. The spacecraft, which will be carried by Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, is set to launch from New Zealand at 3:30 am IST. The solar sail, which is about the size of an oven, will be deployed 25 minutes after liftoff and will measure approximately 80 square meters. The mission’s initial phase will last for a couple of months, during which time the solar sail will be set in. The sail will propel the spacecraft by redirecting solar particles toward it. The mission team will conduct a series of pointing maneuvers in the next few weeks after launch to demonstrate orbit raising and lowering of the CubeSat using sunlight. The solar-powered spacecraft will be visible like the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, if the orientation achieved is perfect. The success of the mission will reduce reliance on heavy propulsion systems and enable lower-cost missions of longer duration.