Once in orbit, Cosmos-1 was to increase its altitude through solar sailing, thus establishing this as a feasible and effective technology and clearing the way for missions to the Solar System and beyond. Planning a second attempt, the Planetary Society and partner Cosmic Studios are raising funds for Cosmos-2. (The artist's impression above - credit: Michael Carroll, The Planetary Society - depicts a futuristic scenario in which intense solar-powered space lasers shine a focused beam from the Earth on to huge lightweight sails, allowing a spacecraft to reach enormous speeds more quickly and resulting in practical interstellar flight.)
[ posted  22 February 2009 ]