| |
KF5JRV > TECH 09.07.19 12:37l 7 Lines 1364 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 10273_KF5JRV
Read: GUEST
Subj: Light Sail Propulsion
Path: IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<VE2PKT<N3HYM<KA3BVJ<AB0AF<KF5JRV
Sent: 190709/1135Z 10273@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQK6.0.18
Last month, a spacecraft called LightSail 2 — which uses a solar sail topropel itself using sunlight — was sent into space.Now a new website run by The Planetary Society, the space researchorganization that developed the solar sail, publishes every update itsends down. The Planetary Society expects LightSail 2’s sail to unfurlsome time this week, according to The Verge, at which point it willbegin to move through space with the power of the Sun — while thescience-curious back on Earth follow its journey.When the sail unfolds, it will reach roughly the size of a boxing ring,per The Verge. That means it could be visible from the surface of theEarth, so people could use the tracker website to know when to goartificial-stargazing.The first LightSail’s main purpose was to demonstrate that a sail couldopen up in outer space, The Verge reports — but LightSail 2 willactually use the techique to climb into a higher orbit, using photons fromthe Sun to capture trace amounts of momentum to push forward, not unlikea boat catching a breeze.LightSail 2 orbit the Earth for about a year. If it works as planned,the solar sail would mark the first demonstration of a new kind of spacepropulsion that could potentially give us the ability to probe deeperinto space than ever before.
73, Scott KF5JRV
Pmail: KF5JRV @ KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA
Email: KF5JRV@GMAIL.com
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
