At best, the sail would only be able to carry a tiny ... Unlike other seemingly sci-f tech, like ion thrusters, these laser propulsion methods are still quite a ways off being fielded in real ...

Interestingly, the spacecraft would use an innovative propulsion method ... the incredibly subtle movements of the sail as it ...

Laser sailing could be a game changer for exploration ... numerous experiments have shown that "solar sails" can rely on sunlight for propulsion if the spacecraft is light enough and has a ...

Fabricating a sail with billions of nanoscale perforations ... improvement over the distances previously achieved using laser propulsion. Should this technology scale as anticipated, its ...

rather than having to carry their own propulsion systems and fuel. One current plan is to use the photon pressure from a laser to accelerate a gramme-sized spacecraft with a light sail to a ...

This laser was assumed to power a 70-MW electric propulsion vehicle with a 175-m diameter photovoltaic array directly coupled to lithium-fueled ion thrusters operating at a specific impulse of 58,000 ...

The challenge is developing a propulsion system that could get ... distinct advantages but also has its share of drawbacks: “Laser sailing, unlike conventional spacecraft and rockets, does ...

The mission uses the sun for two purposes: propulsion and power ... Starshot also could one day employ a sail and a powerful Earth or space-based laser to journey to Alpha Centauri.

NanoSail-D will be NASA's first attempt to utilize "solar sail" propulsion in space ... it is propelled by light from the sun (or a powerful laser). Theoretical solar sail ships might be able ...