Solar sails (also known as light sails and photon sails) are a method of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large mirrors. A number of spaceflight missions to test solar propulsion and navigation have been proposed since the 1980s. The first spacecraft to make use of the technology was IKAROS, launched in 2010. A useful analogy to solar sailing may be a sailing boat; the light exerting a force on the mirrors is akin to a sail being blown by the wind. High-energy laser beams could be used as an alternative light source to exert much greater force than would be possible using sunlight, a concept known as beam sailing. Solar sail craft offer the possibility of low-cost operations combined with long operating lifetimes. Since they have few moving parts and use no propellant, they can potentially be used numerous times for delivery of payloads. Solar sails use a phenomenon that has a proven, measured effect on astrodynamics. Solar pressure affects all spacecraft, whether in interplanetary space or in orbit around a planet or small body. A typical spacecraft going to Mars, for example, will be displaced thousands of kilometers by solar pressure, so the effects must be accounted for in trajectory planning, which has been done since the time of the earliest interplanetary spacecraft of the 1960s. Solar pressure also affects the orientation of a spacecraft, a factor that must be included in spacecraft design. The total force exerted on an 800 by 800 metre solar sail, for example, is about 5 N (1.1 lbf) at Earth's distance from the Sun, making it a low-thrust propulsion system, similar to spacecraft propelled by electric engines, but as it uses no propellant, that force is exerted almost constantly and the collective effect over time is great enough to be considered a potential manner of propelling spacecraft. (Wikipedia).
I'm Fraser Cain, and I'm a sailor. Well, okay, I've got a sailboat that I take out on the water when its warm and the weather's nice here on Vancouver Island. I think it's one of the reasons I absolutely love the idea of a solar sail. Here's how they work: Light is made up of photons. Ev
From playlist Space Exploration
Researcher Sini Merikallio tells about electric sail -invention. The electric sail is a new space propulsion concept which uses the solar wind momentum for producing thrust (Janhunen, P., Electric sail for spacecraft propulsion, AIAA Journal of Propulsion and Power, 20, 4, 763-764, 2004, J
From playlist Electric Sails Playlist
What is an Electric Sail? Another Exotic Way to Explore the Solar System
We’re all familiar with the idea of solar sails to explore the Solar System, using the light pressure from the Sun. But there’s another propulsion system that could harness the power of the Sun, electric sails, and it’s a pretty exciting idea. Support us at: http://www.patreon.com/univers
From playlist Guide to Space
It took the Voyager 1 spacecraft over three decades to leave the solar system (and scientists still aren’t sure when it did). We need a new method of propulsion that will transport spacecraft faster than ever before. NASA is one of a few agencies developing a new way to sail through space,
From playlist Electric Sails Playlist
Planetary Society Deploys LightSail 2’s Solar Sail. What Does The Future Hold For Solar Sails?
Where you can travel in space depends on how much propellant you’ve got on board your rocket and how efficiently you can use it. But there’s a source of free propellant right here in the Solar System - the Sun - which is streaming out photons in all directions. You just need to catch them.
From playlist Guide to Space
Solar Powered Alarm Clock - Part 2
This is the wrap up of the Solar Powered Alarm Clock. I also introduce some new projects I will be working on.
From playlist Solar Powered Projects
FRESNEL LENS FIBER OPTIC OPTICAL CABLE Solar Lighting
This is a Spot Fresnel Lens focused on composite Fiber Optic Cable. This is a fiber optic ponytail.
From playlist THE FRESNEL LENS SOLAR POWER
Solar powered boat for children made from waste water pipes
A simple, yet fun solar powered boat project made from pvc storm water pipes.
From playlist Science Projects to make at Home
Be one of the first 500 people to sign up with this link and get 20% off your subscription with Brilliant.org! https://brilliant.org/realengineering/ New streaming platform: https://watchnebula.com/ Vlog channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMet4qY3027v8KjpaDtDx-g Patreon: https:/
From playlist Space
Solar Powered Wireless Security Camera - Part 3
This is the installation of the Solar Powered Wireless Security Camera outside.
From playlist Solar Powered Projects
Open Space 72: Electric Sails with Dr. Pekka Janhunen
Dr. Pekka Janhunen is a researcher with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the inventor of the Electric Solar Wind Sail concept, using the solar wind as a propulsion system for spacecraft. These could allow spacecraft to explore many regions of the Solar System without any onboard
From playlist Open Space - Live QA with Fraser Cain and Guests
Major Updates About Light Sail Technology When It Comes to Space Travel
Good telescope that I've used to learn the basics: https://amzn.to/35r1jAk Get a Wonderful Person shirt: https://teespring.com/stores/whatdamath Alternatively, PayPal donations can be sent here: http://paypal.me/whatdamath Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will tal
From playlist Space Exploration
Astronomy Cast Ep. 262: Solar Sails
From playlist Astronomy Cast
Lightsail 2 Succeeded! But Can We Use It To Travel The Solar System?
You can buy Universe Sandbox 2 game here: http://amzn.to/2yJqwU6 Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about the Lightsail 2 mission achievements as well as whether we could use solar sails to travel the solar system. The site I used for calculations: https:/
From playlist Solar System
Laser Sails as Interstellar Propulsion with Matthew Campbell
My guest today is Matthew Campbell, a Mechanical Engineer, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania. He's a member of the Bargatin Group, researching nanomaterials and their applications. https://bargatin.s
From playlist Interviews
In this series I will be adding solar power to an Amazon Kindle DX.
From playlist Solar Powered Projects
Kerbal Space Program - Cosmos 1 - Solar Sail in Space (Lightsail-1)
Check out the new Patreon page and help the channel grow: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2318196&ty=h In this Kerbal Space Program video we are going to explore a solar sail mission that was supposed to be lauched from Delta III SSBN in the middle of the Barents Sea and enter Low Earth Or
From playlist Kerbal Space Program and Math