NASA develops 'space sailboat' using solar energy

According to NASA's announcement, the agency has developed and tested a 'space sailboat' to use radiation pressure from the Sun as an unlimited source of energy for spacecraft. This is a significant advance in spacecraft propulsion technology, helping to increase performance and reduce costs compared to using traditional rocket engines.

NASA experts explain that the solar sail works similarly to the way a sailboat moves based on the wind. However, instead of relying on wind like when moving on rivers, lakes, seas., solar sails use photons from the Sun. Accordingly, it turns spacecraft into 'space sailboats' moving through space. These photons, when hitting the sail, will create a small but continuous thrust, thereby helping the spacecraft maintain and accelerate while moving in space.

NASA develops 'space sailboat' using solar energy Picture 1

The concept of solar sails has been proposed by scientists for a long time. German astronomers Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei proposed this idea in the 1600s. However, it was not until the 21st century that this technology was developed and practically applied in space missions such as Cosmos 1 and Ikaros.

Through the plan to research and manufacture solar sails, NASA aims to explore and study distant planets in the universe like Mercury. One of NASA's proposed new missions, called Mercury Scout, could use a solar sail to travel to Mercury and explore minerals, surfaces, and craters that show signs of water.

Solar sails have advantages in performance and cost, so experts expect them to create new breakthroughs, opening up great opportunities for space exploration and research on planets in the solar system.

David Pac

Update 04 April 2024