Solar-sailing satellite proves it can use light to propel through space

LightSail 2’s solar sail, as seen from the spacecraft’s onboard camera | Image: The Planetary Society

The Planetary Society’s experimental LightSail 2 spacecraft — designed to fly on light coming from the Sun — has lived up to its namesake. The nonprofit today announced that the satellite has successfully raised its orbit around Earth thanks to sunlight pushing on the vehicle’s large, reflective solar sail. It marks the first time a spacecraft in Earth’s orbit has used solar sailing to change its path around our planet.
LightSail 2 has been in a low orbit above Earth since its launch on top of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on June 25th. Last week, the spacecraft successfully deployed its sail — a thin, square piece of mylar about the size of a boxing ring. Since then, the Planetary Society has been twisting and turning the sail’s position…

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