new ESA technology : solar sail

[tocqueville]

GeoSail
The GeoSail Technology Reference Study (TRS) investigates the feasibility of performing an in-situ solar sailing technology demonstration, while also doing science measurements in the Earth's magnetosphere.

Scope of the Study

The Earth's magnetosphere

The primary goal is the demonstration of solar sailing including analysis of the sail deployment sequence, measurement of sail performance and effective characteristic acceleration, sail degradation, sail to environment interactions and finally of the sail jettison. GeoSail is intended to provide heritage and enabling technologies for future solar sailing missions like Solar Polar Orbiter (SPO) and Interstellar Heliopause Probe (IHP). The present study uses the Geosail study performed by the University of Glasgow as a reference.

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=38980

[electropop]

1. Ion drives, solar sails, what's next?

Warp drive? Cool stuff.

[bbinacan]

2. Cool indeed. n/t