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Not quite. According to the article, the Japanese deployed a solar sail with a Venus probe. This, though, is the world's first solar sail on a probe designed fo
by noahlt 16y ago
Not quite. According to the article, the Japanese deployed a solar sail with a Venus probe. This, though, is the world's first solar sail on a probe designed for Earth orbit.
- robin_reala 16y agoThe Planetary Organisation tried to deploy a solar sail back in 2005 ( https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Cosmos_1 https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Cosmos_1 ) but the rocket failed.
- nfg 16y agoThe probe in question: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKAROS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKAROS
- tel 16y agoThe article does mention IKAROS, though changing the title from "Solar Sail Stunner" was probably a good move. This satellite is interesting however in that it uses what sounds like a much simpler sail deployment design. IKAROS used centrifugal force to pull the sail out whereas NanoSail-D seems spring loaded.
- jpadvo 16y ago"World's first unfurling of a solar sail in orbit" would be quite a bit more accurate.