5 minute lesson
Sailing Through Space on the Power of the Sun
What if we could sail through space with the gentle push of the sun?
We are entering a new age of space exploration, and it is not powered with rockets. The folks at the Planetary Society with help from Bill Nye are opening new doors to exploring the solar system.
This technology is called solar sailing. It uses the push of light to gently move a spacecraft. In the summer of 2019, the Planetary Society launched LightSail 2, a solar sail powered spacecraft. If that wasn’t cool enough, the project was made possible by crowdfunding!
So, how does solar sailing work? How do you crowdfund space exploration? To answer those questions we have a great video from the Planetary Society hosted by Bill Nye.
Why It Matters
Since launching in June of 2019 LightSail 2 successfully deployed its sail and proved that light-powered flight is possible! If you want to learn more about LightSail 2, pop over to the mission control page. There, they post the updated stats on the mission and LightSail 2’s location! If you’re lucky, you might be able to spot it from down here on Earth.
LightSail 2 is successful not only in making scientific breakthroughs but for empowering all of us to further the exploration of space! If we can help crowdfund a mission to space, we can each play an active role in the adventure. We are a part of the future of space science!
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The Planetary Society
The Planetary Society, the world’s largest non-profit space-interest group, is dedicated to inspiring the public with the adventure and mystery of space exploration.