The gas prices are going up, and there’s no stop for that. And for ages together, space travel has been depending on gas and the solar power, which is converted to the kind of energy we need. But what if there’s a way to propel the satellite or any other rover in space with just light? That’s exact what is going to happen in 2016, when LightSail-1 would launch in space for interplanetary travel.
Solar Sailing
That’s the term for this experimental way to make satellites travel from one planet to the other, and also, to other interstellar bodies. The birth of a low-cost satellite, CubeSats will take this experiment forward.
According to Wikipedia:
Solar sails (also called light sails or photon sails) are a form of spacecraft propulsion using the radiation pressure (also called solar pressure) from stars to push large ultra-thin mirrors to high speeds. Light sails could also be driven by energy beams to extend their range of operations, which is strictly beam sailing rather than solar sailing.
The project is being handled by The Planetary Society, and the organization has confirmed that the LightSail-1 will launch in 2016 onboard SpaceX Falcon Heavy, to explore the space with this new technology, carrying the CubeSat. Here’s a video demonstration of the LightSail-1 opening its mirrors for the interstellar sail:
While these sails are performed against the Sun’s direction, there are possibilities that these travels can me made towards the sun. With right materials in place, and a change in the poles of the Solar Sail mirrors. Though this will slow down the speed of the satellite, this will be beneficial in bringing the satellite closer to the Sun. I might not be the only one thinking about this though.