LightSail 2 solar spacecraft proves viability of 'flight by light'

The Planetary Society has announced that its LightSail 2 solar spacecraft has managed to raise its orbit using only solar power, successfully demonstrating that flight powered by light is a viable option for CubeSats. The milestone follows the unfurling of LightSail 2’s solar sail last week, which itself followed the spacecraft’s launch in late June. LightSail 2 is a solar-powered …