“Solar Sailing Away” Written by Clay Dillo PowerPoint by Taruna Kar

Here is a picture of Ikaros, the picture of the kite-like robot Here is a picture of how Ikaros might look like

What in the world is this about?? Ever heard of the idea of space sailing? Well, the Japanese are thinking of starting this project, which is named Ikaros. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to sail its first “space yacht”, which is going to be propelled by solar sails. This project will be done on May 18th. Accelerated by the radiation of the sun, it’ll speed through the solar system. Yes, it’ll actually explore the solar system, if not for space purposes, then for fun!

Why are people making this robot? JAXA’s has great ambitions. Even though this is just the first step, the Japanese still aspire to achieve more. The rockets that are launching Ikaros are also carrying Japan’s first ever satellite, which will voyage to Venus. Japan plans to build several wheeled vehicles that will also explore the moon by 2020. Like I said, Ikaros is only just the first step.

How will all of this work? With 46 foot sail as thin as human hair, Ikaros plans to run on solar cells. These solar cells plan to power the robot. Because the craft is going to sail in outer space, it’ll get an infinite supply of power from the sun, unless the craft goes behind Earth or some other planet. However, this technology has cost $16 million, already. And the price is increasing as we speak.

Who? Where? Obviously, the Japanese are launching this fantastic object. This vehicle is going to be launched into space.

Sources http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-04/japan-launch-solar-sailing-mission-beyond-orbit-first-time