French Firm Raises $2 Million To Sail On Sunlight

The French aerospace company Gama has raised 2 million euros to deploy a solar sail in space. The Guardian reports: Solar sails require no engines to move. Instead, they are pushed around by the pressure of sunlight. The angle of the sail determines the direction of motion. Gama plans to deploy a 73.3-sq-meter solar sail in a 550km-altitude orbit in October. It will be launched as an additional payload on a SpaceX rocket. Gama hopes to demonstrate that solar sails can revolutionize access to deep space because they are cost-effective and scalable in size. After this year's deployment test, the company plans to launch a follow-up mission in 2024 to a higher orbit to demonstrate control and onboard navigation. In 2025, it hopes to emulate the Japanese and fly to Venus.

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