Inventions - Solar sails: propelling spacecraft using the pressure of sunlight
Inventions · 0:41
Solar sails offer a method of spacecraft propulsion using the radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large reflective surfaces. Because they require no propellant and have few moving parts, solar sail craft could potentially operate repeatedly over long lifetimes at high speeds. Two spacecraft have successfully used this technology for propulsion: IKAROS in 2010 and LightSail-2 in 2019. The pressure of sunlight naturally displaces interplanetary missions by thousands of kilometers, making this gentle celestial force a proven factor in space navigation.
Source: Wikipedia
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