The concept of LightSail--spacecraft designed to propel through space on beams of sunlight-- pushed through by nothing but the pressure of sunlight--has been around for years but this month made special news because the project to make it happen is becoming far riper for takeoff. Carl Sagan chatted about this idea of solar sailing on a 1976 talk show, and the idea moved into more significant phases and hard work. Since the talk show, Prof. Sagan founded the Planetary Society; Bill Nye joined, an...
The concept of LightSail--spacecraft designed to propel through space on beams of sunlight-- pushed through by nothing but the pressure of sunlight--has been around for years but this month made special news because the project to make it happen is becoming far riper for takeoff. Carl Sagan chatted about this idea of solar sailing on a 1976 talk show, and the idea moved into more significant phases and hard work. Since the talk show, Prof. Sagan founded the Planetary Society; Bill Nye joined, an...
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