Usually, sailing involves two key things – a sail and some wind.
But what about sailing in space?
There’s no air up there, which means no wind.
So, no sailing either, right?
Wrong!
This is a solar sail – and it could be the future of space travel!
But here’s a curious question – how do solar sails work?
How do solar sails work?
Well, the clue is in the name – solar sails use sunlight!
They’re basically large mirrors that are spread out to reflect as much sunlight as possible.
When the light hits the sail’s surface and bounces off, it gives the sail a very gentle push.
The push force from sunlight is tiny.
But since there's no air resistance in space, all those little nudges start to build up and the spacecraft keeps getting faster and faster!
In three years, a solar sail could reach speeds of 240,000 kilometers per hour!
Solar sails like this one, designed by The Planetary Society, are still in the testing stage.
But they could one day allow us to go further and faster into space than ever before!
And now you know how they work!
Solar sails are pushed by sunlight instead of wind.
The push force is small, but because there is no air resistance in space, the spacecraft picks up speed.
Got it?
Great – another curious question answered!