Billions and billions of stars… works better in a nasally font

Carl Sagan, founder of the Planetary Society and eminent scientist and writer, would be proud. Of course, he's dead, so all he can do is keep pushing up daisies. Nonetheless, someone is no doubt proud with the Society, as it, along with Cosmos

Carl Sagan, founder of the Planetary Society and eminent scientist and writer, would be proud. Of course, he's dead, so all he can do is keep pushing up daisies. Nonetheless, someone is no doubt proud with the Society, as it, along with Cosmos Studios and the Babakin Space Center in Russia are about to make one of the author's dreams reality. In April this year solar sail tests will be conducted in low orbit, and then, by December this year a full scale solar sail-powered flight will be launched.

Consisting of a 30 meter diameter sail and a central hub, the entire craft is only 40 kilos. The sail is deployed using inflatable ribs, which also keep the sail rigid in flight. Even more exciting is the method of deployment, via a converted Russian ICBM launched from a submarine in the Barents Sea. Pretty damn cool.

Solar sails work by catching sunlight, which can actually exert pressure over a large area, to propel a spacecraft. Many believe the technology, if successful, could be a cheap alternative to fueled flight, though somewhat slower.
The Planetary Society