How solar sails could propel humanity to interstellar space
By
Kiona N. Smith
Hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, baked to perfection. Worth every minute at the bakery.
Summary
This article explores the concept of solar sails as a realistic propulsion method for interstellar space travel. It discusses how solar sails harness the pressure of photons from sunlight (or lasers) to propel spacecraft, drawing parallels to ancient sailing ships. The article examines current research, technological developments, and the feasibility of using solar sails to send humans to distant stars, suggesting these ideas are not far-fetched futuristic concepts but achievable technologies being actively developed.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledI think these are not far-out type of ideas; they are not really futuristic ideas that we are talking about.
If humankind ever travels to distant stars, we might sail there — and it might be sooner than you think.
Some of humanity's oldest ships used sails to harness the power of the wind, so it seems inevitable that we would do something similar in space.
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