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Credit & Copyright: The Planetary Society
Explanation:
Hitching a ride
to low Earth orbit, LightSail A accomplished
a challenging test mission,
unfurling its 32 square meter mylar solar sail on June 7.
This dramatic image
from one of the bread loaf sized spacecraft's fisheye
cameras captures the
deployed sail
glinting in sunlight.
Sail out
and visible to Earthbound observers before its final orbit, LightSail A
reentered
the atmosphere last weekend.
Its succesful demonstration
paves the way
for the LightSail B spacecraft, scheduled for launch in April 2016.
Once considered the
stuff
of science fiction, sailing through space
was suggested 400 years ago by astronomer Johannes Kepler
who observed comet tails blown by the solar wind.
But modern solar sail
designs, like the one tested by LightSail A
rely on the small but continuous
pressure from sunlight itself for thrust.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: propulsion
Publications with words: propulsion
See also: