On May 18th the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) is preparing to launch Ikaros, an interplanetary "space yacht" en route to Venus. Ikaros (a play on "Icarus") uses a 46-foot solar sail to catch particles emitted by the sun as a means of propulsion.
The solar sail, which is thinner than a human hair, will harness enough power to hover and rotate, as well as steer the £35 million craft on its six-month mission to Venus. If Ikaros is successful, further missions to other planets are planned.
JAXA´s Yuichi Tsuda said, "Unlike the mythical Icarus, this Ikaros will not crash," while a JAXA spokesperson said: "This will be the world´s first solar powered sail craft employing both photon propulsion and thin film power generation."
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