NASA: NanoSail-D2's mission a success

The video tutorial covers the launch of a spacecraft on November 19, 2000, as a payload on NASA's FAST AT satellite. Initially, the spacecraft failed to jettison but unexpectedly ejected on January 17, deploying its sails two days later. The tutorial explains how solar sails use sunlight for propulsion, providing slow but constant acceleration that can lead to high speeds. The mission concluded with the spacecraft burning upon reentry on September 17.

What happened to the AT satellite after it was launched?

Describe the process of how a solar sail accelerates a spacecraft.