Propulsion method
Solar Sail
Propulsion with no propellant at all: a large, lightweight reflective sail is pushed by the momentum of sunlight itself. The thrust is minute but continuous and free, building up large velocity changes over time. Japan's IKAROS proved the principle in interplanetary space in 2010, and The Planetary Society's LightSail 2 demonstrated sail-raised orbits around Earth.
Highlights
- ›Pushed by sunlight — no propellant needed
Hardware & related concepts
Knowledge connections
- Associated withLightSail 2
- Associated withThe Delta-v Budget
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.