A team of scientists has investigated the potential of aerographite as a material for solar sails that could eventually travel to Mars and beyond, a report from Universe Today reveals.
Solar sails were first demonstrated in space by the Planetary Society's LightSail 2 mission, which raised a small CubeSat's orbit by 1.9 miles (3.2 km) using only the propulsive force of photons, or light beams, from the Sun.
Now, a new study published in the journal Acta Astronautica details how a team of scientists simulated trips to Mars and to interstellar space using aerographite solar sails.
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