Travelin’ Light
Sailing through
the solar system...and beyond
Using the gentle
but persistent pressure from sunlight bouncing off a highly reflective
sail, spacecraft of the not-too-distant future may glide through the
solar system and into interstellar space.
References:
West, J.L. 1996.
NOAA/DOD/NASA Geostorms warning mission. Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
California Institute of Technology report. October 18.
Further Readings:
Cowen, R. 1999.
Shape may help predict solar storms. Science News 155(March
13):164.
______. 1996. New
year in space science. Science News 149(Jan. 13):24.
Eberhart, J. 1981.
Riders of the light. Science News 120(Nov. 21):328.
Sources:
Robert L.
Forward
Forward Unlimited
8114 Pebble Court
Clinton, WA 98236
Charles E.
Garner
California Institute of Technology
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Systems Division
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099
Les Johnson
Marshall Space Flight Center
TD15 Building 4203
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
Patricia
Mulligan
NOAA/NESDIS
Room 3010 FB 4
5200 Auth Road
Suitland, MD 20746
John L. West
California Institute of Technology
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Systems Division
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099
From Science
News, Vol. 156, No. 8, August 21, 1999, p. 120. Copyright © 1999,
Science Service. |