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First Controllable Solar Sail Launched Today

Posted by timothy on from the now-for-obedience-school dept.

clustermonkey writes "The first controllable solar sail was launched earlier today from a Russian sub in the Barents Sea. The Planetary Society, founded by Carl Sagan, organized the project and were funded by Cosmos Studios, founded by Sagan's widow. There have been 2 other solar sail deployments by others, but this will be the first to attempt controlled flight. The sail is scheduled to deploy June 25." All may not be well, though: Snot Locker writes "The Cosmos 1 Weblog is showing that, although the launch initially looked successful, they can't seem to find it or hear it. Bummer. Previous Slashdot coverage on the Cosmos 1 Solar Sail mission can be found here."

8 of 237 comments (clear)

  1. "Bummer" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    It's a bit more than a "Bummer":

    Engineer #1: Yessiree, that solar sail is up there! This calls for a celebration!
    Engineer #2: Um. Where is it?
    Engineer #1: [points] Up there!
    Engineer #2: Where up there?
    Engineer #1: Way, way up there.
    Engineer #2: You have no idea, right?
    Engineer #1: [weak laugh] Nah.
    Engineer #1: [shrug] Bummer.

  2. uh oh by MrDoh! · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm just waiting for when it comes back as a near omnipotent being and starts demanding to see it's creator.

    --
    Waiting for an amusing sig.
  3. Re:Presumably... by Tackhead · · Score: 4, Funny
    >...if the craft suffered "failure to enter orbit at all", presumably that means it hit space and kept going, right? I'd imagine someone would have noticed a Russian ICBM falling randomly out of the sky.

    In other words, what you're trying to say is that somewhere downrange of post-Soviet Russia, solar sail will eventually find yo*CRUNCH*
    NO CARRIER

  4. Of course they can't find it... by centauri · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... it must be halfway to Coruscant by now.

    --
    Don't blame me, I voted for Durga.
  5. Re:Presumably... by TheKidWho · · Score: 4, Funny

    I know what really happened

    You see, the Russians never launched Cosmos 1, they realized that these guys would be a bunch of suckers so what they did, is they got them to pay for the launch, and then launched their own new spy satellite In the same orbit that Cosmos 1 was supposed to be in. And now they are going to tell them "tough luck, you must have out bad communications equipment on her or something". So the Americans pay the money, and the Russians get to launch their spy satellite.

    Next Week on Conspiracy Theory 101
    Sony and Microsoft are really in bed against Nintendo!

  6. It's on mars.. by multipartmixed · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...hanging out with the Vikings.

    --

    Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
  7. Of course they can't hear it! by ZSpade · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's in space!

    --
    Go ahead and call me unreliable; reliable is just a synonym for predictable.
  8. Re:How does it stop? by g-san · · Score: 4, Funny

    It uses a solar anchor.