A new “light sail” concept for spaceflight has passed a microgravity test with ... flying colors, researchers say. This is the latest in a growing pile of promising research, including the endorsement of pop-culture science dad Bill Nye and the Planetary Institute.
In a new paper, researchers propose and present testing of a concept for an “atomically-thin” graphene light sail—as in just one atom thick. Then it’s attached to the thinnest substrate ever, making for an overall design with a low enough mass to feasibly travel in space.
The thinness is key.
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