And Photons For Your Sails
The always interesting Paul Gilster augments the latest news about LightSail, the solar sailing project very similar to the fated NanoSail-D, and includes a note that the planned third photon-powered LightSailwill be sent to L1, where it "can be 'parked' to serve as a solar weather station,".
The always interesting Paul Gilster augments the latest news about LightSail, the solar sailing project very similar to the fated NanoSail-D, and includes a note that the planned third photon-powered LightSailwill be sent to L1, where it "can be 'parked' to serve as a solar weather station," a suggestion about an extremely lightweight material that might eventually be used, and a link to a 1929(!) description of solar sailing from the book, "The World, The Flesh and the Devil." And if you haven't had your fill, the Planetary Society links to this The Atlantic article, a lengthier treatment of the subject. The image at the top provides a sense of scale. The center object is the 3U Cubesat from which the expanse of sail has emerged. A video of the process may be located here. Image: NASA/MSFC/D. Higginbotham