Powered by laser light, this tiny sail lays the groundwork for future advances in lightsail technology and the potential for interstellar propulsion.

The new lightsail, designed with the help of AI, could make it possible for miniature probes to reach the nearest stars within 20 years of launch.

The end of LightSail 2 was a drag LightSail 2 launched in June 2019 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, tasked with a one-year mission to demonstrated controlled solar sailing in orbit.

LightSail 2 just met its fiery end, but solar sailing is just getting started The latest LightSail mission gave us a glimpse into the future of solar sailing.

Science Space Private Space Flight The solar-powered LightSail 2 spacecraft took one last look at Earth before burning up After 18,000 trips around the world, the spacecraft ends its journey.

After more than three years circling the Earth, the Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 mission has come to an end following a fiery reentry. The satellite was an important tech demo for the idea of ...

Bargartin found the lightsail must have curvature so it can billow out and avoid tearing. This curvature also must be significant, with the ideal lightsail being about as deep as it is wide.

A crowd-funded spacecraft, the LightSail 2, has become the latest to fly on celestial winds. While wind as we know it certainly doesn’t blow in space, the ship can directly harness something ...

Two weeks after entering solar sailing mode, the Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 spacecraft has managed to raise its orbit by nearly 2 miles, in an important test of this promising new means of ...