Sailing the Cosmos

Years ago I read this fantastic book…name escapes me…about colonizing Mars. It was a book written by an astrophysicist and all in all was a very good read. In it he postulated the use of solar sails, sails that used the power of the sun to move craft but also sails to be placed around the planet Mars to capture heat and transfer it to the planet in order to rejuvenate the Red Planet's atmosphere.

All very cool.

Well today the Planetary Society has laid out plans to launch the first experimental sail (actually the second, the first blew up in 2005) to test its flight capabilities. These sails would be mounted on ships and allow those ships to dispense with carrying fuel or worrying about it.

Of course one wonders if the power of the solar energy will be enough out in the Great Empty around Pluto….

But, its a cool first step. Read more at space.com.

And the first ships better be named the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.