Japanese Solar Sail Launched

[illuminati]

Warsai wrote: The Japanese Institute of Space and Astronautical Science has succeeded in launching and deploying the first ever solar sail into space. A solar sail is a thin metallic film pushed by light from the Sun - like a sail on Earth is pushed by the wind - it requires no engine. The 7.5 micrometers thick sail was carried on board an S-310 rocket launched from the Uchinoura Space Center, and deployed at 122 km (75 miles) altitude.

http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish ... ml?1082004

When a spacecraft uses solar sails, it means no fuel is required, because the sails catch the particle emissions of the sun for movement.


Cool story! Looks like this is just an experimental lauch. It appears that the solar sail is up there to prove that it can work. I was wondering where they were going to send it.

And, they didn't give any indication about how fast it goes. Starts out like an old Studebaker and accelerates to what speed?