Explore Worlds
Find Life
Defend Earth
Media Advisory: LightSail 2 Will Attempt Solar Sail Deployment on Tuesday, July 23
Media Advisory
July 19, 2019
Contact
Danielle Gunn
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1-626-793-5100
Katie Gommel
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1-202-280-2398
The Planetary Society's LightSail 2 spacecraft is almost ready to go solar sailing! After a successful launch on June 25 from the Kennedy Space Center, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, LightSail 2 has been cleared for a possible sail deployment attempt on Tuesday, July 23. The solar sail is set to deploy during a ground station pass that starts at roughly 2:22 PM ET/11:22 AM PT with a backup pass starting at 4:07 PM ET/1:07 PM PT. Learn more here.
What: LightSail 2 Solar Sail Deployment
When: Between 11:22 PDT to 13:07 PDT on July 23
Where: Live-streamed and live-blogging
**In-person viewing available at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California.
The LightSail 2 is The Planetary Society's historic, crowdfunded spacecraft mission demonstrate solar sailing around the Earth. After launch, Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye said, "We are advancing space science and exploration. We are democratizing space. We are innovating."
Additional LightSail 2 resources
About The Planetary Society
The Planetary Society is the world's largest and most influential space interest organization. Founded in 1980 by astronomer Carl Sagan with Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit is led today by CEO Jenn Vaughn and championed by Chief Ambassador Bill Nye. Members and donors fund programs in science and technology, public outreach, and advocacy. This work advances the exploration of space, the search for life beyond Earth, and the defense of our planet from dangerous asteroids and comets. Learn more at planetary.org.
###