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NASA to Launch Solar Sail

Posted by timothy on from the cue-bad-brains dept.

arbitraryaardvark writes "Physorg reports that NASA will launch a solar sail around the end of July. It'll be the first of its kind; a previous attempt blew up. It's a small proof-of-concept gizmo, not a full-on spaceyacht. Solar sails operate on photon pressure from sunlight. They are well known to science fiction readers, otherwise not so much." C-net has coverage, too.

7 of 147 comments (clear)

  1. Ah, sigh by Gewalt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sadly, my kids think a solar sail is something you put on a wooden ship to power the ion thrusters. Stupid disney and their stupid wooden ships in outer space...

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    Modding Trolls +1 inciteful since 1999
    1. Re:Ah, sigh by neokushan · · Score: 5, Funny

      Package a movie with a couple of hunks and babes as well as some explosions and dramatic music, and nobody is going to care about its accuracy.

      Well, except sad bastards like us.

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      +1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill
  2. Let me guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    And in 50 years, the US Post Office will still be using said technology, while FedEx is traversing through worm holes.

    1. Re:Let me guess... by DigiShaman · · Score: 5, Funny

      while FedEx is traversing through worm holes

      Oh great! So FedEx will now tell me that my package was delivered. The bad news: it was delivered to me in an alternate reality. With my signature to prove it no doubt. Never mind the fact that "I" didn't get the damn package.

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      Life is not for the lazy.
    2. Re:Let me guess... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Meanwhile, UPS will just launch the damn thing into a black hole and say customer service is 'working on it.'

  3. Its the first of its kind. by OzPeter · · Score: 4, Funny
    Yet a previous attempt blew up.

    You use this phrase Its the first of its kind. I do not think you know what it means.

    And yes .. welcome to /. etc etc

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  4. my parents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    My parents were married, you insensitive clod!