Julian2 Posted May 22, 2010 Report Share Posted May 22, 2010 'Space yacht' sails on waves of sun A JAPANESE rocket has blasted off and successfully released a Venus probe and a kite-shaped ''space yacht'' designed to float through the cosmos using only the power of the sun. The rocket released all six of its satellites within an hour, a spokesman for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. One of the six is the experimental Ikaros - an acronym for Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun - and is propelled by the pressure of sunlight particles. The name alludes to the mythical Icarus, who flew too close to the sun. Similar to an ocean yacht pushed by wind, the device has a square, ultra-thin and flexible sail, of 14 metres by 14 metres, to be driven through space as it is pelted by solar particles. The sail, only a fraction of the thickness of a human hair, is partly coated with thin-film solar cells to generate electricity. The Venus-bound Ikaros, which cost ¥1.5 billion ($A21 million) to develop, will be the first use of the propellant-free technology in deep space, although it has been tested in orbit around Earth. ''This idea of a solar sail was born some 100 years ago, as we often find it in science fiction novels, but it has not been realised to date,'' the agency says on its website. The rocket also released the Planet-C Venus Climate Orbiter, a box-like golden satellite with two paddle-shaped solar panels, expected to arrive at Venus in about six months. Venus is similar in size and age to Earth but has a far more hostile climate, with temperatures of about 460 degrees C and abundant carbon dioxide. The probe - nicknamed Akatsuki, or ''dawn'' in Japanese - is fitted with five cameras, and its mission is to peer through the planet's thick layer of sulphuric acid clouds to monitor the meteorology of Venus, search for lightning and scan its crust for active volcanoes. AFP Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted May 22, 2010 Report Share Posted May 22, 2010 How do you tack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian2 Posted May 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2010 I would imagine it would be a complex procedure. I'd have used the term "solar wind" rather than "waves of the sun" as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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