Electronica, Space, Technology scottishnatureboy
Solar sails ('200 days to Venus' Mix)

I am excited by technological possibilities like solar sails as a means of moving payloads around the solar system. What's a solar sail (a.k.a. light sail or photon sail)? A solar sail is a (still mostly conceptual) form of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large mirrors. Solar sail craft offer the possibility of low-cost operations combined with long operating lifetimes. Since they have few moving parts and use no propellant, they can potentially be used numerous times for delivery of payloads. See the Wikipedia entry here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_sail

A solar sailing spacecraft would be the epitome of graceful and elegant transport. It seems that a craft with a payload of 1 tonne would take around 200 days to reach Venus, hence the track title. I dream of these craft. Someone build a big one please! Let's move beyond the models!