light sail
What Should Light Sails Be Made Out Of?
The Breakthrough Starshot program aims to cross the immense distances to the nearest star in just decades. Using a high-powered…
NASA’s Next Solar Sail is About to Go to Space
Everyone knows that solar energy is free and almost limitless here on Earth. The same is true for spacecraft operating…
What a Swarm of Probes Can Teach Us About Proxima Centauri B
You've likely heard of the Breakthrough Starshot (BTS) initiative. BTS aims to send tiny gram-scale, light sail picospacecraft to our…
Photonic Crystals Could Be Exactly What Breakthrough Starshot is Looking For
Light sail technology is a fascinating concept and a step change in rocket propulsion. It may not be big and…
Birds use Dynamic Soaring to Pick Up Velocity. We Could Use a Similar Trick to Go Interstellar
A new proposal for an interstellar mission shows how a solar sail could use the same technique birds do to…
Laser-Powered Sails Would be Great for Exploring the Solar System too
A new study from UCLA shows how laser-driven light sails could be a cost-effective method for exploring the Solar System…
If Launched by 2028, a Spacecraft Could Catch up With Oumuamua in 26 Years
A new study by the Institute of Interstellar Studies (i4is) shows that with the right maneuver, a spacecraft could catch…
Want the Fastest Solar Sail? Drop it Into the Sun First
A new study from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy shows how a "Sun Diver," a light sail that dives…
What’s the Best Way to Sail From World to World? Electric Sails or Solar Sails?
A new study compares two potential means of interstellar exploration, which could have implications for both space exploration and the…
Planetary Society’s Light Sail 2 is Set to Launch on a Falcon Heavy Rocket Next Month
The Planetary Society is going to launch their LightSail 2 CubeSat next month. LightSail 2 is a test mission designed…