Space yacht will be first craft to travel on 'solar waves' as it sets sail for Venus

Daily Mail ^ | April 29, 2010 | Clair Bates

[C19fan]

A 'space yacht' propelled only by sunlight particles bouncing off its kite-shaped sails is to launch next month. A rocket carrying the Japanese craft will blast off from Tanegashima Space Center on May 18. Once in space the short cylindrical pod will separate from the rocket spinning up to 20 times a minute. This will help it to unfold its flexible 46ft sail, which is thinner than a human hair.

[C19fan]

Is this the first real attempt at a solar sail craft?

[a fool in paradise]

If you go to Venus, can you get a Venereal disease?

[Celerity]

Venus is between us and the sun. Which solar rays are they talking about harnessing here ?

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[r9etb]

Venus is between us and the sun. Which solar rays are they talking about harnessing here ?

You need to slow down to get to Venus.... a solar drag sail would do the trick.

[r9etb]

Is this the first real attempt at a solar sail craft?

Others have been attempted, all have failed for one reason or another.

[davisfh]

Yes, and one of the worst things that you will hear the doctor say is, “Sir, the disease that you have is nothing to ‘clap’ about.”

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I wonder if Louis Farakhan and Kusinich are on board?

[Tallguy]

I remember the stuck Solar Panels on the old Skylab. There have been several other instances of solar collectors that have failed to unfold properly in space. Wonder how comfortable this spacecraft’s designer is that they will unfurl, cause if they don’t it’s a 100% mission failure.

[RinaseaofDs]

“Which solar rays are they talking about harnessing here ?”

Didn’t you read the article? It’s a YACHT!

They are going to just close haul and tack back and forth until they get to Venus. /s

Had to do it. Little space-nautical humor there.

Going back to my day job now.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Orbital tacking I suppose. It’s amazing what a sloop can do with wind blowing “the wrong way”.

We are falling behind technologically. Glad for Japan, but not a good sign for the USA.

[a fool in paradise]

Meet your Space Yacht Ship's Captain, Sun Ra...

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Even failure teaches people things. In the meantime, NASA is being dismantled.

[Brett66]

A three hour tour, a three hour tour.......

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I sail! I sail now! The wind and the wind and everything.

Ahoy!

“Keep sailing, Bob.”

[fso301]

Wonder how comfortable this spacecraft’s designer is that they will unfurl, cause if they don’t it’s a 100% mission failure.

The Japanese have a certain tradition regarding failure:

[JoeProBono]

[Yo-Yo]

Orbital tacking I suppose. It’s amazing what a sloop can do with wind blowing “the wrong way”.

On a sailboat, you can tack because you have a keel. If you have no keel, (or raise the centerboard,) you will simply drift in the direction of the wind, no matter how the sails are set or which direction the boat points.

Nobody has explained to me how a spacecraft can "tack" into the solar wind when it doesn't have a keel. The only momentum the Sun can add to the craft is a vector directly away from the Sun, no matter what angle the solar sail is pointed in.

[Disambiguator]

If successful, another one will launch from San Francisco. Destination: Uranus.