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Cosmos Solar Sail Getting Close To Launch
digitalcaffeine writes "The Guardian is reporting that US and Russian scientists are planning to launch a spacecraft that will use solar sails to move about in space. This venture, called Cosmos 1, is backed by the Planetary Society and Cosmos Studios. The spacecraft, finally due for launch in late 2004 or early 2005, will use a converted SS-N-18 submarine launched ballistic missile fired from beneath the Barents Sea to get it into a 800 x 1000 km elliptical orbit. It will then unfurl its 15m sails and start moving about. So, for all the governments that have been working on a similar project, the first solar-sailed spacecraft is going to be from a private venture." An update on the official site notes that "The world's first solar sail craft is nearing completion. All electronic systems are now flight qualified and were delivered to the spacecraft for final assembly and testing" - we previously reported on the Cosmos Project and the efficacy of solar sails.
will it be ready in time to get Count Dooku back to Coruscant?
Drill baby drill - on Mars
... most people expect it sail off the edge of the world.
Unknown host pong.
Oh wait I mean two .. umm what was in one?
Now that we have solar sails, it's only a matter of time before we need to start worrying about space pirates.
Where's Samus when you need her?
come sail away
come sail away
Come sail away with me
Just toss out the space anchor.
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
Minus the warhead, but yeah- it's amazing what you can find these days on ebay. Just enter "Russia" and "Surplus".
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
How does a private company get ahold of a submarine-launched ballistic missle? We could sure use one of these for our current... uh... project. Where can I get one?
Osama Bin Laden
Helpful if we ever have a whale-seeking probe come to our planet and we need to generate some quick power.
Don't forget that God looks like a few stars that light up when he talks.
You really should stop sitting in front of Christmas trees while on acid.
Just attach a bungi chord to the earth on the way out...and snap back home