Planatary society's light sail

[Scott DeWar]

saw this on line and followed to a sight about Planetary society and something called a light sail. It looks to be a solar sail planetary exploration vehicle of some sort.

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2015/20150520-lightsail-liftoff.html

and a "Mission Control tracking sight"

http://sail.planetary.org/missioncontrol

What do you guys think?

 

[Morrus]

Is that Bill Nye's pet project? There's a Kickstarter for it:

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...utionary-solar-sailing-spacecraft/video_share

 

[Scott DeWar]

I think so, yes. I saw some sort of a write up on that very title. It looks awesome!

 

[Umbran]

It is pretty awesome, yes. Why use expensive, heavy propellants when the Sun gives you motive power for free?

 

[Scott DeWar]

But, but, that is too science fiction Umbran!

 

[Umbran]

But, but, that is too science fiction Umbran!

I'm sorry, but I don't think the phrase, "too science fiction," has semantic content. These words have no meaning when strung together in that way

But really, this isn't all that much fiction - the concept is *dirt* simple - Carl Sagan was suggesting it back in the 1970s. The delay in making it happen has been just in development of lightweight materials and computing power.

 

[Dioltach]

I backed the Planetary Society's ARKYD space telescope a few years back, and so far I'm underwhelmed with how things have gone. The project is behind on schedule, and most of the communication seems to be requests for more money. I felt like they'd just taken my name from the Kickstarter and added me to a mailing list.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Yea, it is cool and hopefully we will see the results. Just something adventurous and romantic about sails.

I also interested in seeing the EMDrive tested in space, internet has blow this way out of facts but still.

 

[Umbran]

The project is behind on schedule, and most of the communication seems to be requests for more money.

Well, Space is hard. If it weren't hard, it would already have been done.

 

[Morrus]

Well, Space is hard. If it weren't hard, it would already have been done.

It's not rocket science.

Wait...