More than four months after its launch, a solar sail spacecraft has successfully spread its wings over our planet. NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) was launched into space on Rocket Lab’s Electron spacecraft on April 24, and in late August, NASA said in a statement that mission operators had confirmed that the technology had achieved full use in space. On Thursday, August 29 at 1:33 p.m. ET (5:33 UTC), the team received data indicating a successful test of the sail lift system.

Just as wind propels a sailboat through water, solar sails require only a tiny amount of sunlight to propel them through space. Although photons have no mass, they can impart momentum when they collide with an object, which is what solar sails do. Luckily, the spacecraft that deploys the sail contains four cameras that can capture panoramic views of both the reflective sail and the composite obstacles that accompany it. The first high-resolution images are expected to be released on Wednesday, September 4.

The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft will undergo testing over the next few weeks as the team observes the sail’s ability to maneuver in space. By adjusting the orbit, researchers will be able to learn more about how to design and manage future missions equipped with solar sails.

“Flight data from the demonstration will be used to design future larger composite solar sail systems for space weather early warning satellites, asteroid and other small-body reconnaissance missions, and solar polar observation missions – Rocket Lab shared in a previous mission description.”

The spacecraft’s position in orbit is about twice the altitude of the International Space Station. If you looked at the sail from above, it would appear to be a square about 860 square feet (80 square meters), about half the size of a tennis court.