A new engineering idea may move into practice through phased steps. Proving a novel mechanism in a harsh environment might mean checking deployment and function separately.

The Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator "IKAROS" was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on May 21, 2010 (JST). JAXA began to deploy the solar sail on June 3.

Phasing deployment to manage mechanical risk

On June 10 (JST), JAXA confirmed that the sail was successfully expanded and was generating power through its thin film solar cells. Wikipedia's current events portal reported that the first solar sail was unfurled by Japanese space organization JAXA. Lou Friedman was in Japan to observe IKAROS' sail deployment.

A structure that relies on conditions in space may call for a methodical approach to risk. In general, a delicate surface is likely to need careful deployment and monitoring. The week between starting deployment and confirming power generation might have allowed time to observe how the mechanism behaved.

For hardware developers, this approach highlights the importance of building distinct checkpoints into any deployment sequence. Verifying that a structure has expanded is only one part of the equation. Confirming that the integrated components, such as thin film cells, are actively functioning validates the entire system architecture. Taking a phased approach might prevent a single point of failure from compromising the entire test, allowing engineers to isolate structural integrity from power generation.

Testing a novel mechanism may call for patience. Perhaps a successful prototype is one that not only survives its environment but also shows it can work there.

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