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Sailing through space
Sailing through space
A New Frontier
A New Frontier
In the past, when there were no airplanes or helicopters, people travelled around the globe by sailing across Earth's oceans.
Now, we sail through space, not by the wind, but by the momentum of photons in sunlight. Introducing the power of solar sails---the next generation of exploration.
Cosmos 1, an unsuccessful attempt on solar sail technology.
IKAROS, the world's first solar sail spacecraft.
How Does A Solar Sail Work?
How Does A Solar Sail Work?
Light is made up of tiny particles called photons. Although they do not have mass, they have energy. Solar sails work by harnessing that energy. When light hits the sail, many photons bump into the sail. The kinetic energy of the bumps are then transferred to the spacecraft, pushing it forward.
A short documentary about the LightSail, a successful solar sail-powered spacecraft.
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