Solar sails (also known as lightsails, light sails, and photon sails) are a method of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large surfaces.

A solar sail spacecraft has large reflective sails that capture the momentum of light from the Sun and use that momentum to push the spacecraft forward. The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 mission is …

4 days ago · Solar sails have some major advantages over traditional propulsion methods—most notably, they don't use any propellant. But, how exactly do they turn? In traditional sailing, a ship's …

Sep 6, 2024 · Solar sails work similarly to nautical sails, but instead of being pushed by wind, they are impacted by the pressure of sunlight as photons bounce off of the reflective material they're made...

Apr 23, 2024 · Just as a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating the need for conventional rocket propellant.

Sep 21, 2025 · Solar sails are the only method of spacecraft propulsion in which no fuel is needed. Until recently spacecraft powered by solar sails were the stuff of science fiction.

Solar sails have long promised a path beyond chemical rockets, but turning that promise into flight ready hardware has required decades of persistence, experimentation, and hard lessons learned.

Mar 19, 2025 · Solar sails—spacecraft that harness the gentle but relentless pressure of sunlight—represent one of the most elegant and potentially revolutionary methods of deep-space …

Jan 16, 2025 · By harnessing the power of sunlight, these innovative devices can propel spacecraft through space without the need for fuel. In this article, we will delve into how solar sails work, their …

Apr 16, 2024 · Solar sails are spacecraft propulsion systems that use the momentum of photons emitted by the sun for propulsion. These sails utilize large, lightweight reflective materials to capture and …