Solar Sailing Through Space
LightSail 2 - Solar Sailing in Space Source: The Planetary Society's LightSail in Orbit Solar Powered Space Missions This green energy technology has the potential to be disruptive innovation. It's a solar powered sail invented by the non-profit Planetary Society in California, led by the Science Guy Bill Nye. The LightSail 2 CubeSat spacecraft successfully deployed its solar sail a few days ago in space. It's the first spacecraft to be propelled by sunlight alone. This is very important science because the use of solar sails to convert solar wind into thrust could save fuel and provide clean solar power for spacecrafts on long space missions. Solar Sailing Source: The Planetary Society - image from LightSail The small spacecraft is the size of a toaster. It was hurled into space aboard a Space X Falcon Heavy rocket in late June. A few days ago, flight controllers on the ground in California fully deployed the solar s...