Solar sails work by capturing solar winds, in much the same way a sailboat captures terrestrial breezes, pulling a spacecraft through the cosmos. The first iteration of such a device was tested back in 2010, but now NASA has launched one into low Earth orbit and is testing its most advanced one to date.
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00:03 You may have heard of solar sails before, as they are one possibility for efficient and long-distance space travel.
00:09 They work by capturing solar winds, in much the same way a sailboat captures terrestrial breezes,
00:14 pulling a spacecraft through the cosmos.
00:16 The first iteration of such a device was tested back in 2010,
00:19 but now NASA has launched one into low-Earth orbit, its most advanced one to date.
00:24 Solar sails are good for extremely long space trips because solar pressure takes a lot of time to speed up an object.
00:29 However, it can do so indefinitely, meaning in the vacuum of space where there is nothing to slow a spacecraft down,
00:35 it will constantly be speeding up, and it doesn't require an engine or heavy fuel,
00:39 meaning the spacecrafts can be lighter, allowing them to speed up more quickly.
00:43 NASA's newest solar sail is made from a flexible polymer.
00:46 Light carbon fiber scaffolding allows them to create a stiff shape with that material, meaning increased acceleration.
00:52 The 30-foot-wide solar sail is now deployed in space,
00:54 and experts say it might even be visible under the right conditions from Earth.
00:58 Glimmering and reflecting the sun, perhaps as brightly as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.
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