World's first interplanetary solar sail spacecraft IKAROS, sail spreading CG image

May 18 - June 3, 2010 on launch.

IKAROS project
http://www.jspec.jaxa.jp/e/activity/ikaros.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• solar
• sail
• JAXA
• japan
• イカロス
• H-2A
• H-2B
• solar-sail

[foomboom2]

@sweetsongman1

We conquer Beta Centauri!

[Neosaigo]

Earth's own UFO

[CyphenPhsyX]

@sweetsongman1

"One small step for man, One giant leap for man kind"

Remember those words Son ;)

[sweetsongman1]

YAY WE GOT THE SAIL OUT IN AN EPIC WAY...now what?

[kurokuro4792]

くるくるくるくる～～～　ぱっ！

[supertrinko]

attach a large circular (400m diameter) spacecraft to the rear, spinning at roughly 2rpm, and you've got a low power requirement spacecraft with artificial gravity!

[Bossofsardine]

Ikaros successfully did first set sails and second sail sails. Now, the time to do the sailing space... haha

[kamak894]

Oh wow - listening to this with the vuvuzelas on gives it a real 2001: A Space Oddessy feel to it...

[noxure]

@AnarchyAlleyCat oops, off course I ment (surface sail/4pi*distance to core²) / thrust from the entire sun. /:D

[noxure]

@AnarchyAlleyCat That's only theoretically when it's propelled by a perfect laser.

The thrust generated by the sun decreases exponentially the further away.

"thrust spacecraft = thrust from the entire sun / (surface sail / 4pi*distance to core²)"

Cosmic radiation, coming from all directions, will overpower the sun at some point. Also, theres that weird theory of relativity that will demand more power for less acceleration at extremely high speeds.