LightSail 1 Mission Trailer

CubeSats are tiny, low-cost satellites that have opened up new avenues of space research for universities and small organizations. To help CubeSat applications reach the next level, The Planetary Society is testing an elegant propulsion method called solar sailing that could help CubeSats maneuver in Earth orbit and reach interplanetary destinations.

LightSail-1 is a citizen-funded mission scheduled to launch in 2016 aboard the SpaceX Falcon Heavy.

Animation created by Josh Spradling.