A Better Way to Turn Solar Sails

A Better Way to Turn Solar Sails
By Mark Thompson (https://ift.tt/F6i9he0)

Solar sails are space's ultimate free ride, they get their propulsion from the Sun, so they don't need to carry propellant, but they come with their own challenges. A sail has a large surface area but a low mass, which creates a huge moment of inertia and makes it difficult to control, especially with reaction wheels. A team of engineers have cracked it though with "smart mirrors" that can instantly switch their reflectivity on command, transforming sunlight from an unruly force into a precision steering tool.

June 15, 2025 at 04:50AM
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