Planetary Society to launch solar-powered CubeSat in May
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028590
New York Times : The Planetary Society, a nonprofit space advocacy group based in Pasadena, California, plans to launch the first of two solar-powered Lightsail spacecraft into Earth orbit on an Atlas V rocket in May. The craft is planned as a test run for a longer mission set for 2016. For the first flight, the tiny CubeSat will spend four weeks in low Earth orbit, during which all critical functions will be checked before its sails are deployed. Because of its low altitude, the craft will drop out of orbit within days of extending its sails. The second Lightsail will be placed in a higher orbit by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Solar-sail technology is being explored as a way of reducing the cost of conducting space missions in the solar system. Ultimately, laser-driven craft might one day allow interstellar travel.
