The teams research,publishedthis month inNature Photonics, describes a miniature lightsail in a laboratory setting.
There are numerous challenges involved in developing a membrane that could ultimately be used as lightsail.
It turns out we can.
An artist’s concept of a laser-propelled lightsail.Illustration: Caltech
The team measured the sails movements on a picometer scaledown to trillionths of a meter (3.4 feet).
These external phenomena can impact a lightsails performance and potentially jeopardize a mission.
Lightsails could be the future of spaceflight.
Accordingly, the advent of lightsail-propelled spacecraft could make light-years of distance a less insurmountable hurdle for space travel.
I believe lightsail technology has the potential to revolutionize space exploration, Michaeli said.
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