LightSail solar spacecraft to be launched soon
The construction of the LightSail spacecraft, a solar spacecraft designed by the Planetary Society, will start next year thanks to a crowdfunded campaign that reached it’s goal in only one day, CBS News reported.On Wednesday afternoon, the private, non-profit Planetary Society and its CEO Bill Nye, managed to raise US$200,000, only a day after the campaign was launched. The money raised so far for the project will cover construction of the first spacecraft to be launched in 2016. However, the entire project is expected to cost $5.46 million.The LightSail is a spacecraft with solar sails which mirrored surfaces are designed to capture momentum, or photons, from solar energy. The constant barrage of solar energy generates continuous acceleration which eventually allows the spacecraft to reach high speed without burning any fuel.The spacecraft is also equipped with cameras which every seven seconds take photographs of the mylar sails deployment.The Planetary Society was co-founded by astronomer Carl Sagan. The organization tried to launch Cosmos 1, the first solar sail in the world, in 2005 but the craft never reached the orbit due to a failure of the launch vehicle.
