Sunday, November 15, 2009

LightSail in the News...


I have read many science fiction books in my life. One of the biggest ideas for space travel was to somehow use the light from the sun to propel the craft through space.

My subscription to Planetary News has paid off and revealed to me a quote from the New York Times

"Peter Pan would be so happy.

If the launching of LightSail-1 goes off according to plan next year, humans may soon be solar-sailing, as shown in this illustration. About a year from now, if all goes well, a box about the size of a loaf of bread will pop out of a rocket some 500 miles above the Earth. There in the vacuum it will unfurl four triangular sails as shiny as moonlight and only barely more substantial. Then it will slowly rise on a sunbeam and move across the stars."

cool.
later man, jan

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Jan, that is so cool and even cooler is that I'm pleasantly surprised that you are a science fiction reader! We're a perfect match ;-)!

-Scott

jan said...

not quite so perfect, Scott... if I wasn't old enough to be your mother and you didn't have that beautiful wife and daughter - sigh :) be well, my friend.