JLP's Blog

In about eight hours (at 19:46:09 GMT) the first solar sail spacecraft, Cosmos 1, is going to be launched. It is a joint project of The Planetary Society and Cosmos Studios. Cosmos 1 doesn't have any engine. It can move because lots of fast light particles (photons) from Sun reflect off giant mirror-like sails. The spacecraft then keeps accelerating over very long distances. Hopefully propulsion technology like this will enable us to visit other stars. The Russian built (by NPO Lavochkin) spacecraft will be launched from a submerged Russian Delta III nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea. We should be able to easily see it on the night sky. Check out Heavens Above website to see where to look for. If you would like to follow the developments around Cosmos 1 be sure to check out their weblog.

Tags: space, astronautics

# posted by Jure "JLP" Repinc @ 6/21/2005 01:25:00 PM