Friday, November 13th, 2009

Solar Sail Spacecraft

Array.alttext

Diagram showing Lightsail-1 in its stowed (launch) configuration: prior to opening of solar panels and deployment of solar sails. Solar cells are shown in blue. Image courtesy The Planetary Society.

The Planetary Society plans to power a spacecraft using the pressure of sunlight reflecting off huge solar sails. The first craft in the project, dubbed 'LightSail,' is scheduled to take flight by the end of 2010. LightSail-1, a demonstration craft, will have four triangular sails made of 32 square meters of mylar, arranged in a kite-like diamond shape. Planned later efforts will go further using the technology. We'll talk with Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society, about his group's plans.

Guests

Louis Friedman
Executive Director
The Planetary Society
Pasadena, California

Related Links

Segment produced by:Christopher Intagliata

$relatedimages[storys].alttext

Image: LightSail-1 artist depiction.
Artist depiction by Rick Sternbach, courtesy The Planetary Society.

email list
SciFri Gifts
Support for Science Friday provided in part by the Noyce Foundation
and
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The National Science Foundation
Research Corporation for Science Advancement