Projects: Solar Sailing
Project Updates
April 1, 2009: New Opportunities
The Planetary Society remains committed to flying the first solar sail. Specifically,
we aim to fly the first controlled flight of a spacecraft using light pressure
to increase the orbit energy. At the beginning of this decade, we designed
a mission to accomplish this goal. We launched Cosmos 1 in June 2005, but
the Volna rocket that was to place the spacecraft in orbit failed, and we
were never able to test our solar sail in flight. These days, The Planetary
Society is working with colleagues at NASA and at the Russian Space Research
Institute to put together a new solar sail mission. Read
the full article »
June 23, 2008: New Developments on the Road to Cosmos 2
It is an encouraging time for the future of solar sailing. The Planetary Society and Cosmos Studios remain committed to flying the first flight with light. Our spacecraft, Cosmos 2, is a maneuverable solar sail that may be the precursor to a new mode of interplanetary travel, and could one day take us to the stars. In addition, through our cooperation with other organizations, we are continuing to encourage the development of solar sail technology. Read
the full article »
June 15, 2007 : Making Light Work
Professional Pilot Magazine asked me to contribute a prediction about the future of flight for the next century. Naturally, I wrote about solar sailing. Writing the article allowed me to step back a bit from our efforts to make this first solar sail flight happen and focus my thoughts on future applications for solar sailing -- uses within our solar system and beyond.
The promise of light sails enabling new missions of application and exploration is what motivates The Planetary Society and Cosmos Studios to reach for the stars.
-Louis D. Friedman
Read the full article »
October 20, 2006: Monitoring the Sun
"...The probable first application for this technology would be to monitor
the Sun and give advance warning of dangerous or disruptive solar weather
to those who operate satellites or power and communications grids. Charged
particles streaming from the Sun can interact with the Earth's radiation
belts and the ionosphere, disrupting radio and interfering with power transmissions.
Orbiting satellites can be particularly vulnerable to radiation blasts
from the Sun." Read the full update »
December 2, 2005: Getting Started
September 30, 2005: The End of Cosmos
1;
The Beginning of the Next Chapter
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