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by Stuart Clark from Science | The Guardian on (#B0DQ)
A privately funded space advocacy group has deployed a “solar sail†in orbit. Such spacecraft could open up cheap space travel and provide ways to drag space debris out of orbit.LightSail uses no fuel. Instead it relies on a large reflective sail to capture the momentum inherent in sunlight. Continue reading...
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Software glitch disables LightSail spacecraftSimilar News
by Reuters in Cape Canaveral from Science | The Guardian on (#AWHJ)
Tiny privately funded vehicle will re-enter atmosphere after testing thin sails that could be used to gain propulsion from sun’s raysA privately funded space project to demonstrate an innovative solar sail passed with flying colours despite a series of near-fatal technical issues, program managers have said.The five-kilogram LightSail spacecraft hitched a ride into orbit aboard an Atlas 5 rocket carrying the US Air Force’s X-37B robot space plane on 20 May. Continue reading...
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Bill Nye's Planetary Society splices the mainbrace after dodgy start Pic The Planetary Society's crowdfunded LightSail spacecraft has deployed its 32 sq metre solar sails after delays caused by technical glitches. The Earth-orbiting craft is now harvesting energy from the momentum of the Sun's photons, we're told.…
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from Hacker News on (#AAM4)
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Cubesat reboots after discovering that in space, no-one can press CTRL-ALT-DEL After an unexpected and nervous wait, the Planetary Society is cock-a-whoop to be in contact with its LightSail cubesat.…
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