Washington (AFP)
A month after its launch in space, the solar sail of the American organization Planetary Society unfolded correctly Tuesday orbiting the Earth.
The solar sail, named LightSail 2, is a small satellite with a square of 32 square meters of a very thin, light and reflective Poylester Mylar, which should allow to propel the camera by the simple thrust of the photons of the Sun. This is an experiment to demonstrate that the technology is mature.
"Deployment completed!" tweeted the organization. The data sent by the aircraft to the ground confirmed the mechanical operation. Photographs taken by the probe should allow to confirm it visually later in the day.
The Planetary Society's director, Bill Nye, told AFP last month that solar sails would allow nothing more than a day to "tame" solar energy to "sail among the stars".
The solar sail will remain in orbit around the Earth and, if all goes well, it will gradually increase its altitude thanks to the pressure of solar radiation.
What could these solar sails be used for in the future?
Bill Nye explains that they would be useful to send robotic missions far, far away, beyond our solar system, because the ship, if it will necessarily be slower initially than if it were equipped with a motor, will accelerate continuously and ultimately reach extraordinary speeds.
© 2019 AFP