3 ms·
IANAL, but I wonder if this invention has any significance to the Planetary Society's plan to launch a solar sail satellite in the near future, the LightSail [1
by JoeDaDude 8y ago
IANAL, but I wonder if this invention has any significance to the Planetary Society's plan to launch a solar sail satellite in the near future, the LightSail [1]. If I understand the patent correctly, Google has patented (a) a means to steer a light powered craft, and (b) a means to produce solar sail. I understand the LightSail controls the sails by changing the orientation of the satellite with respect to the sun. I have no info on how the sail itself was fabricated. Do they owe Google some money?
[1] http://www.planetary.org/explore/projects/lightsail-solar-sailing/ http://www.planetary.org/explore/projects/lightsail-solar-sa...
- pluto9 8y agoThe patent doesn't belong to Google. This is just Google's patent search site.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- blakers95 8y agoThis patent is from 1980--I don't think it's Google's.
- zeth___ 8y agoPatents expire after 26 years. Like sane copyright laws should.
- abecedarius 8y agoIt's a very different design because the Planetary Society's is built to be launched from Earth and then unfolded, presumably making it much heavier. If it does use ideas from this patent, it must've expired by now.