The LightSail program of the Planetary Society is an initiative that focuses on the exploration and promotion of the use of solar sail propulsion for spacecraft. The organization advocates for the use of solar sail technology in space travel and conducts educational activities to raise awareness of this propulsion mechanism. By conducting LightSail missions, these solar sails are launched into Earth's orbit to test their performance and maneuverability and to gather valuable data for space research. The Planetary Society actively involves the public in their missions and allows enthusiasts to follow the progress of the missions and even support them through crowdfunding campaigns. This program is an exciting combination of space travel, technology development, and public participation.
Scientists have investigated the potential of aerographite as a material for solar sails that could one day travel to Mars and into interstellar space. In a study published in the journal Acta Astronautica, they simulated journeys to Mars and the heliopause with aerographite solar sails. These sails are lightweight and enable spacecraft to achieve high speeds. The direct outward transfer method could bring a solar sail spacecraft to Mars in just 26 days, while the inward transfer method takes 126 days. For the journey to the heliopause, the inward transfer method takes 5.3 years, the outward transfer method 4.2 years. This technology promises the rapid delivery of small payloads within the solar system and could revolutionize the way we operate space travel. Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.16698
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