Artist's Rendition of Lightsail (IMAGE)
Caption
An artist’s conception of the Starshot Lightsail spacecraft during acceleration by a ground-based laser array. Previous conceptions of lightsails have imagined them being passively pushed by light from the sun, but Starshot’s laser-based approach requires rethinking the sail’s shape and composition so it won’t melt or tear during acceleration.
Credit
Masumi Shibata, courtesy of Breakthrough Initiatives
Usage Restrictions
With Credit
License
Original content