UNLOCKING THE FUTURE OF LIGHT SAIL DEPLOYMENT IN SPACE

Sailing to The Stars

COMPANY

Cornell University SSDS

ROLE

Website Designer

Tools

Figma

YEAR

2025

Sailing to The Stars

Funded by a grant through the ISS National Labs CASIS program (Center for the Advancement of Science In Space), the Sailing to the Stars mission will test multiple deployers for light sails with shape-memory alloy frames. These tests will be conducted by an astronaut within the ISS, and recordings of the tests will be sent back to the team for evaluation. One of the deployment mechanisms that this mission will test is similar to the one already being used on the Alpha CubeSat, and this is done intentionally. While the Alpha team will be able to confirm if the sail deployed successfully, the Sailing to the Stars project will further develop this technology by assessing the kinematics of such a deployment in a microgravity environment.


Business Objective

Cornell and project partners could expand public engagement into donor campaigns, STEM education initiatives, or branded content sponsorships/.


Understanding the "science-like" Visual Identity

We began by researching similar space science initiatives and educational outreach programs to identify visual and functional patterns that engage both technical and general audiences. This helped us define a design direction that balances scientific accuracy with public curiosity.



How to Sell Academic Informations Quick to Understand?


Working closely with the mission team, we tailored the content and layout to highlight the project’s key goals—light sail experimentation, microgravity testing aboard the ISS, and the future of ChipSat communication. Our goal was to create an intuitive, visually compelling website that communicates complex concepts through clean visuals, interactive elements, and digestible narratives.


Solution

Overall, our strategy focused on designing a site that serves as both an educational tool and a storytelling platform. The final product invites users to follow the mission’s progress, explore the science behind light sails, and understand how this project is helping shape the future of space exploration.


Results

  • Help 1000+ vistors per years to understand their missions.

  • Communicate public outreach opportunities: live streams and workshops at museums to raise awareness