Will Solar Power Lead to the Future of Space Exploration?
Highlights
- The Planetary Society launched the second-ever solar sail spacecraft last month, LightSail 2.
- The unique design could transform deep space exploration as it does not need fuel or expensive rockets.
- The spacecraft operates using only the power of photons from the Sun.
- LightSail 2 deploys a sail made from Mylar that unfolds to almost 300 square feet
- The spacecraft is expect to orbit for about a year before falling back to Earth’s atmosphere.
- The organization is hopeful that the technology will be applied to missions searching for life in the solar system.
