Space yacht will be first craft to travel on 'solar waves' as it sets sail for Venus

[Ozymanithrax]

Space yacht will be first craft to travel on 'solar waves' as it sets sail for Venus
A 'space yacht' propelled only by sunlight particles bouncing off its kite-shaped sails is to launch next month.

A rocket carrying the Japanese craft will blast off from Tanegashima Space Center on May 18.
Once in space the short cylindrical pod will separate from the rocket spinning up to 20 times a minute. This will help it to unfold its flexible 46ft sail, which is thinner than a human hair

The square shaped sail is equipped with thin-film solar cells and will use resistance created by the Sun's energy in much the same way as wind propels a yacht through water. This will provide it with enough thrust to hover and rotate.

'It is a hybrid technology of electricity and pressure', Japanese Space Agency expert Yuichi Tsuda said.

'Solar sails are the technology that realises space travel without fuel as long as we have sunlight. The availability

Nice bit of technology...

[n2doc]

1. It's not really a "yacht" unless it has a billionaire on it

Maybe Rupert Murdoch could be the first passenger?

[Silent3]

2. Seems like a very questionable technology to me

How do they make this yacht work at night? ;)

V'z jnvgvat sbe gur vqvbg jub qbrfa'g trg gung V'z wbxvat: Lrf, lbh sbby, V haqrefgnaq gung vg'f arire avtug bhg va fcnpr. Gung'f jul gur jvaxvat fzvyrl snpr vf gurer.

[Ready4Change]

4. Silly question.

Like ocean going sailboats, these will probably carry outboard motors. I hear Mercury has experience with that. (also ;) )

[Ready4Change]

3. I'm interested in seeing this tried.

Solar sails have been a stable of science fiction for a long time. I'm going to be very interested in following news on this. Possibly the best candidate for propulsion within a solar system for automated vehicles. Basically, fuel is no longer an issue, and you can concentrate on longevity of equipment.

Hope it works well!