All articles tagged with #solar sails
A new review explores various propellantless propulsion methods for space travel, such as gravity assists, solar sails, magnetic sails, and electric sails, highlighting their potential to revolutionize space exploration by eliminating the need for carrying fuel, despite current technological challenges.
Scientists warn that solar 'space tornadoes' can trigger geomagnetic storms causing global internet outages, costing billions, and propose deploying a constellation of solar sail-powered probes for faster space weather detection to mitigate these risks.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham have developed innovative transmissive solar sail technology that uses sunlight bending through microscopic patterns for fuel-free spacecraft propulsion, with potential applications in deep space exploration, climate intervention, and space debris removal, paving the way for more sustainable and versatile space missions.
Scientists are developing nuclear fusion and solar sail propulsion methods to reach the distant dwarf planet Sedna in just seven years, aiming to explore the outer solar system and gain insights into its formation, despite engineering challenges.
Scientists are exploring advanced propulsion methods like direct fusion drives and solar sails to send a mission to Sedna in 2076, which could provide unprecedented insights into the farthest reaches of our Solar System, despite significant technical challenges.
Solar sails, which use sunlight for propulsion, could be used to explore Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus in the search for alien life. These sails could reach the moons in just a few years and potentially sample plumes that may contain biomolecules without destroying them. Solar sail technology could revolutionize space exploration and may even be used for interstellar missions in the future.
Scientists have explored the potential of using aerographite as a material for solar sails, which could enable spacecraft to reach Mars and even travel to interstellar space. In a study, researchers simulated trips to Mars and beyond using solar sails made with aerographite, achieving impressive speeds. The solar sail spacecraft, weighing up to 2.2 pounds and equipped with 25 ounces of aerographite, demonstrated the ability to raise a small CubeSat's orbit by 1.9 miles solely using the propulsive force of photons from the Sun.
A recent study explores the potential of using aerographite solar sails for faster and more efficient space travel to Mars and interstellar space. Solar sails, which use sunlight for propulsion, could dramatically reduce travel time and fuel requirements. Simulations showed that a solar sail made of aerographite could reach Mars in just 26 days and the heliopause (interstellar medium) in 5.3 years. The low density and mechanical properties of aerographite make it an advantageous material for solar sails. However, deceleration upon arrival at the destination remains a challenge that requires further study.
An international group of researchers led by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory physicist Slava Turyshev has proposed using solar sails and smallsats to explore the outer solar system and beyond. The team has developed potential craft that could reach speeds of up to 33 kilometers per second, or around seven astronomical units per year, without any propellant, greatly reducing weight and volume of potential spacecraft. The researchers say they've developed potential craft that could be built for between $30-$75 million, as opposed to the $2-$5 billion cost "of a typical flagship-type deep space mission." The ultimate goal is to photograph exoplanets in relative detail, as the solar gravitational lens offers intense brightness amplification and angular resolution.
Scientists have proposed merging miniature satellite units with solar sails to create a fast, inexpensive, and lightweight mode of travel for interplanetary missions. Solar sails obtain thrust by using highly reflective, lightweight materials that reflect sunlight to propel a spacecraft while in space. The Sundiver Concept, as the researchers refer to it, combines solar sails and miniaturization to enable affordable missions to reach farther and faster into the outer regions of our solar system, with great promise for heliophysics, planetary science, and astrophysics.
A team of scientists led by Slava Turyshev of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology has proposed merging miniature satellite units with a solar energy process to create a fast, inexpensive, lightweight mode of travel for space exploration. The researchers refer to the merging of these two technologies as the Sundiver Concept. With enhanced maneuverability, the spacecraft can easily deliver small payloads to multiple destinations if required, and can dock with related modular craft. The reliance on the sun and the miniaturization of the carrier, which requires no dedicated launch site, will prove to be significant cost savers.