--- title: "LightSail 2 Spacecraft Officially Unfurls Massive Solar Sail" description: "The Planetary Society's LightSail 2 satellite has successfully unfurled its massive boxing ring-sized solar sail on Tuesday." date: "2019-07-24" modified: "2019-07-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/lightsail-2-spacecraft-unfurls-solar-sail" categories: - "Energy" - "Off-World" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" - "Space" tags: - "lightsail 2" - "solar sail" - "the digest" - "the planetary society" --- # LightSail 2 Spacecraft Officially Unfurls Massive Solar Sail ![The Planetary Society's LightSail 2 satellite has successfully unfurled its massive boxing ring-sized solar sail on Tuesday.]() *\Image: The Planetary Society/Victor Tangermann\* ## Solar Sailing The Planetary Society's [LightSail 2]() satellite [successfully unfurled]() its boxing ring-sized solar sail on Tuesday and is getting ready to absorb solar rays as its only energy source for propulsion. It could soon represent the first time a spacecraft has traveled through space using only sunlight. The unusual spacecraft is investigating an exciting form of locomotion in the far reaches of outer space — something that astronomers have been wondering about for [hundreds of years](). https://youtu.be/LxcsLSpFV4c German 17th century astronomer Johannes Kepler [theorized]() that sails and ships could one day be "adapted to the heavenly breezes." Now we know that the Sun's photons exert tiny amounts of pressure which could be collected and used by a spacecraft's "sail" for propulsion. The big advantage: no need for heavy liquid fuel and conventional solar arrays as an energy source. ## Slow And Steady Wins The Race LightSail 2 [rocketed into orbit]() on top SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket in June to begin its journey. It even [snapped some impressive pictures]() of Earth as it entered our planet's orbit. If all goes according to plan, LightSail 2 could soon start zipping through outer space — but at an incredibly slow velocity at first. The Sun's photons only exert pressure equal to the weight of a paperclip. The unique spacecraft will spend about a year in Earth's orbit before the team behind it will adjust its orientation to eventually burn up in the atmosphere. **READ MORE:** [LightSail 2 deploys its sail and enters solar surfing mode]() \[*New Atlas*\] **More on LightSail 2:** *[Experimental Spacecraft LightSail 2 Snaps Amazing Photos]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()