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Long-distance ocean voyages began with vessels using zero-emission propulsion systems. Giant sails harnessed the force of the wind.

As technology developed, ocean-going vessels switched to fossil fuel-based propulsion.

Fascinatingly, spacecraft may be taking the opposite path: our first rockets traveled through space burning fuel, but now NASA is looking for huge solar sails that would turn the sun’s energy into thrust. This week they announced that NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts Program is working on a system called Solar Sail Diffraction. “Solar sail propulsion uses sunlight to propel vehicles through space, just as the wind pushes sailboats through the water,” NASA writes.

Yes, but how?

“The technology uses solar photons, sunlight, which are reflected in giant, mirror-like candles, made of light, reflective material, 40 to 100 times thinner than writing paper. Continuous photonic pressure provides enough pushes to perform maneuvers, such as gliding at a fixed point in space and rotating the spacecraft’s orbit plane, which would require too much propellant for conventional rocket systems, as the Sun provides the necessary propellant energy. , solar sails also do not require propeller on board, thus reducing the payload mass “.

Image: MacKenzi Martin, via NASA

Diffractive Solar Sailing “diffraction” refers to the trick of using “small grids” to diffract the light passing through it, spreading that light over the surface of the sail. “This would allow the spacecraft to make more efficient use of sunlight without sacrificing maneuverability,” says NASA.

If the candles really have the color of a rainbow, as in the performance, I would imagine that several organizations (Skittles, Pride, Hawaii) might be interested in sponsorship deals.

Solar candles were portrayed in the sci-fi movie Alien: Pact (although for charging purposes rather than propulsion), and although they weren’t rainbow colored, they looked pretty cool. In the first clip below, the sails are unfurled; in the second, the crew works to repair the damaged sails.

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