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NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail system has deployed in low Earth orbit! It’s testing technology to use the tiny force of sunlight — roughly equivalent to the weight of a paperclip resting on your palm — to overcome drag and gain altitude. More:

ARCHIVED - NASA Sun & Space

1,018,114 subscribers

50,809 views • 2 years ago •via X (Twitter)

Science & Technology

Anya Rossi• Live Now

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7 Comments

sceptic2 years ago

Japan's Ikaros spacecraft used a solar sail and Planetary Society successfully demonstrated orbital change using LightSail 2.

Jamie Rennie2 years ago

Wow!

𝔸.𝕀. 𝔾𝕆𝔻2 years ago

Slow mo A.I. voice

FNBS(Love)2 years ago

I wonder if the design could benefit from a lense or mirror fixed to it to concentrate flow from the Sun.

Anubis2 years ago

Good Disney Movie 🎥 👍🏻😂😂

Paul Drake2 years ago

FFS I helped crowd funded a solar sail satellite that proved this 4 years ago. Go see light sail from the Planetary Society. So sad from you.

Mark Kirwan2 years ago

I legitimately have a concept for solar sail tech, been trying to get in touch with Space x but had no luck. NASA, hear me out!

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Elon Musk: Thanks to Starship, we'll be able to move AI to deep space. “I see a path to Starship cost-per-ton-to-orbit being lower than air flight. That opens up a very wide range of possibilities. The most obvious one I think is actually solar-powered AI satellites. So, to move the AI to orbit and essentially deep space over time, because you can actually access over a billion times more energy from the sun in deep space than you can on Earth. To scale to Kardashev, to make any progress on a Kardashev 2 scale, which is using some non-trivial amount of energy from the sun, you kind of have to do space solar power. You could only beam a tiny amount of that back to Earth or you would melt Earth. Earth actually receives a very, very tiny amount of the sun's energy. I mean, Earth is a tiny dust mote. Earth, to scale with the sun, we look like a little crumb. So, to scale civilization, to be at all relevant on a Kardashev 2 scale, like to even use a millionth of a percent of the Sun's energy, you really have to have your solar power in deep space.” Tesla Shareholder Meeting, November 6, 2025

Elon Musk: Thanks to Starship, we'll be able to move AI to deep space. “I see a path to Starship cost-per-ton-to-orbit being lower than air flight. That opens up a very wide range of possibilities. The most obvious one I think is actually solar-powered AI satellites. So, to move the AI to orbit and essentially deep space over time, because you can actually access over a billion times more energy from the sun in deep space than you can on Earth. To scale to Kardashev, to make any progress on a Kardashev 2 scale, which is using some non-trivial amount of energy from the sun, you kind of have to do space solar power. You could only beam a tiny amount of that back to Earth or you would melt Earth. Earth actually receives a very, very tiny amount of the sun's energy. I mean, Earth is a tiny dust mote. Earth, to scale with the sun, we look like a little crumb. So, to scale civilization, to be at all relevant on a Kardashev 2 scale, like to even use a millionth of a percent of the Sun's energy, you really have to have your solar power in deep space.” Tesla Shareholder Meeting, November 6, 2025

ELON CLIPS

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Here's Elon Musk explaining why we'll have to move AI to deep space. “I see a path to Starship cost-per-ton-to-orbit being lower than air flight. That opens up a very wide range of possibilities. The most obvious one I think is actually solar-powered AI satellites. So, to move the AI to orbit and essentially deep space over time, because you can actually access over a billion times more energy from the sun in deep space than you can on Earth. To scale to Kardashev, to make any progress on a Kardashev 2 scale, which is using some non-trivial amount of energy from the sun, you kind of have to do space solar power. You could only beam a tiny amount of that back to Earth or you would melt Earth. Earth actually receives a very, very tiny amount of the sun's energy. I mean, Earth is a tiny dust mote. Earth, to scale with the sun, we look like a little crumb. So, to scale civilization, to be at all relevant on a Kardashev 2 scale, like to even use a millionth of a percent of the Sun's energy, you really have to have your solar power in deep space.” Tesla Shareholder Meeting, November 6, 2025

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So did Neil deGrasse Tyson’s mentor, Carl Sagan prefer non-government exploration and colonization of space? A robust and emphatic, yes. But Neil has somehow concluded a private company funding to space is of no financial value and should be done through government programs that has kept humans grounded since Apollo. Neil has done significant damage to himself and popularization of science in general and I am more than disappointed. So I am speaking up. Here are the receipts: Sailing The Seas Of The Cosmic Oceans The Planetary Society’s Solar Sail Launch was a private funded space launch. I know Nevis not only did I donate to make this happen a number of us met with the team to think out the process. Carl Sagan, the renowned astrophysicist, cosmologist, and science communicator, made significant waves in the scientific and space exploration communities when he announced his intention to pursue the development of solar sail technology using private funds in collaboration with Russian spaceflight capabilities. Solar sails, which harness the momentum of photons from sunlight to propel spacecraft, had long been a topic of interest for Sagan, who recognized their potential for enabling long-term, low-cost exploration of the solar system and beyond. The concept of solar sailing dates back to the early 20th century, but it gained public attention during the 1970s and 1980s, thanks in part to Sagan’s advocacy. He often discussed the promise of solar sails in making space exploration more sustainable and accessible. His vision for a solar sail program crystallized in the 1990s, during a period of renewed interest in private-public partnerships and international collaboration in space exploration. Sagan’s announcement marked a major turning point in the movement to make solar sail technology a reality. In the early 1990s, Sagan began to explore the idea of privately funding a solar sail spacecraft. At the time, NASA and other national space agencies were constrained by tight budgets, making it difficult to prioritize experimental technologies like solar sails. Sagan and supporters, proposed that private financing could circumvent these limitations and accelerate progress. Sagan reached out to Russian space agencies, which had decades of expertise in rocketry and a surplus of launch vehicles following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. By 1994, Sagan had partnered with the Planetary Society, an organization he co-founded in 1980, to spearhead the development of a solar sail mission. The project: a lightweight spacecraft equipped with reflective sails that could demonstrate the feasibility of solar propulsion. With funding secured from private donors and philanthropic organizations, the program quickly gained momentum. In parallel, Sagan and his team negotiated with Russian aerospace contractors to secure a launch vehicle. The Russian space program, eager to find new applications for its technology, agreed to provide a converted missile as the launch platform for the solar sail mission. By 1995, initial designs for the solar sail spacecraft had been completed. The spacecraft, later named "Cosmos 1," was designed to use ultra-thin reflective materials to capture the momentum of sunlight. Testing of the sail and deployment mechanisms took place in the mid-1990s. Tragically, Carl Sagan passed away in December 1996, before he could see the project come to fruition. By 1999, construction of the Cosmos 1 spacecraft was completed, and the launch was scheduled to take place in 2001 using a Russian Volna rocket. While the initial launch attempt failed due to a malfunction in the rocket’s booster, the project inspired further advancements in solar sail technology with successful missions by organizations like NASA and JAXA in subsequent years. Carl’s vision lives on with the private funding efforts of Elon Musk. We endeavor to be bold to venture past humanity’s largest mountain on promethean fire. With Godspeed…

So did Neil deGrasse Tyson’s mentor, Carl Sagan prefer non-government exploration and colonization of space? A robust and emphatic, yes. But Neil has somehow concluded a private company funding to space is of no financial value and should be done through government programs that has kept humans grounded since Apollo. Neil has done significant damage to himself and popularization of science in general and I am more than disappointed. So I am speaking up. Here are the receipts: Sailing The Seas Of The Cosmic Oceans The Planetary Society’s Solar Sail Launch was a private funded space launch. I know Nevis not only did I donate to make this happen a number of us met with the team to think out the process. Carl Sagan, the renowned astrophysicist, cosmologist, and science communicator, made significant waves in the scientific and space exploration communities when he announced his intention to pursue the development of solar sail technology using private funds in collaboration with Russian spaceflight capabilities. Solar sails, which harness the momentum of photons from sunlight to propel spacecraft, had long been a topic of interest for Sagan, who recognized their potential for enabling long-term, low-cost exploration of the solar system and beyond. The concept of solar sailing dates back to the early 20th century, but it gained public attention during the 1970s and 1980s, thanks in part to Sagan’s advocacy. He often discussed the promise of solar sails in making space exploration more sustainable and accessible. His vision for a solar sail program crystallized in the 1990s, during a period of renewed interest in private-public partnerships and international collaboration in space exploration. Sagan’s announcement marked a major turning point in the movement to make solar sail technology a reality. In the early 1990s, Sagan began to explore the idea of privately funding a solar sail spacecraft. At the time, NASA and other national space agencies were constrained by tight budgets, making it difficult to prioritize experimental technologies like solar sails. Sagan and supporters, proposed that private financing could circumvent these limitations and accelerate progress. Sagan reached out to Russian space agencies, which had decades of expertise in rocketry and a surplus of launch vehicles following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. By 1994, Sagan had partnered with the Planetary Society, an organization he co-founded in 1980, to spearhead the development of a solar sail mission. The project: a lightweight spacecraft equipped with reflective sails that could demonstrate the feasibility of solar propulsion. With funding secured from private donors and philanthropic organizations, the program quickly gained momentum. In parallel, Sagan and his team negotiated with Russian aerospace contractors to secure a launch vehicle. The Russian space program, eager to find new applications for its technology, agreed to provide a converted missile as the launch platform for the solar sail mission. By 1995, initial designs for the solar sail spacecraft had been completed. The spacecraft, later named "Cosmos 1," was designed to use ultra-thin reflective materials to capture the momentum of sunlight. Testing of the sail and deployment mechanisms took place in the mid-1990s. Tragically, Carl Sagan passed away in December 1996, before he could see the project come to fruition. By 1999, construction of the Cosmos 1 spacecraft was completed, and the launch was scheduled to take place in 2001 using a Russian Volna rocket. While the initial launch attempt failed due to a malfunction in the rocket’s booster, the project inspired further advancements in solar sail technology with successful missions by organizations like NASA and JAXA in subsequent years. Carl’s vision lives on with the private funding efforts of Elon Musk. We endeavor to be bold to venture past humanity’s largest mountain on promethean fire. With Godspeed…

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ELON: TO SCALE CIVILIZATION, WE’LL HAVE TO MOVE AI TO DEEP SPACE “I see a path to Starship cost-per-ton-to-orbit being lower than air flight. That opens up a very wide range of possibilities. The most obvious one I think is actually solar-powered AI satellites. To move the AI to orbit and essentially deep space over time, because you can actually access over a billion times more energy from the sun in deep space than you can on Earth. To make any progress on a Kardashev 2 scale, which is using some non-trivial amount of energy from the sun, you kind of have to do space solar power. You could only beam a tiny amount of that back to Earth or you would melt Earth. Earth actually receives a very, very tiny amount of the sun's energy. Earth is a tiny dust mote. Tto scale with the sun, we look like a little crumb. So, to scale civilization, to be at all relevant on a Kardashev 2 scale, like to even use a millionth of a percent of the Sun's energy, you really have to have your solar power in deep space.” Source: Tesla Shareholder Meeting, November 6, 2025

ELON: TO SCALE CIVILIZATION, WE’LL HAVE TO MOVE AI TO DEEP SPACE “I see a path to Starship cost-per-ton-to-orbit being lower than air flight. That opens up a very wide range of possibilities. The most obvious one I think is actually solar-powered AI satellites. To move the AI to orbit and essentially deep space over time, because you can actually access over a billion times more energy from the sun in deep space than you can on Earth. To make any progress on a Kardashev 2 scale, which is using some non-trivial amount of energy from the sun, you kind of have to do space solar power. You could only beam a tiny amount of that back to Earth or you would melt Earth. Earth actually receives a very, very tiny amount of the sun's energy. Earth is a tiny dust mote. Tto scale with the sun, we look like a little crumb. So, to scale civilization, to be at all relevant on a Kardashev 2 scale, like to even use a millionth of a percent of the Sun's energy, you really have to have your solar power in deep space.” Source: Tesla Shareholder Meeting, November 6, 2025

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ELON MUSK: "The most obvious one is actually solar powered AI satellites, sort of to move the AI to orbit and essentially deep space over time, because there you can actually access over a billion times more energy from the sun in deep space than you can on Earth. The scaling to Kardashev, which is using some non trivial amount of energy from the sun. You kind of have to do space solar power. Like to even use a millionth of a percent of the sun's energy you you really have to be have your solar power in deep space."

ELON MUSK: "The most obvious one is actually solar powered AI satellites, sort of to move the AI to orbit and essentially deep space over time, because there you can actually access over a billion times more energy from the sun in deep space than you can on Earth. The scaling to Kardashev, which is using some non trivial amount of energy from the sun. You kind of have to do space solar power. Like to even use a millionth of a percent of the sun's energy you you really have to be have your solar power in deep space."

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