Paulett, could you explain to Blair the whole idea of solar sails and what they’re all about?
PAULETT: You can use the radiation that comes from the sun to propel a spacecraft. And to do that you have to put up a great big sail. We call it a solar sail. It’s a shiny material; very shiny aluminum or something like that that reflects the sunlight. And just the fact that sunlight is being reflected off the shiny sail gives a push on the sail. And you can use that to propel a spacecraft. CHRIS: So it’s not solar wind? PAULETT: No, it’s not using the solar wind. The solar wind is a constant stream of particles coming from the sun but it’s too weak. It has much less energy. BLAIR: Okay. It’s weak but it also creates issues here on Earth even though it’s very weak. But that’s a radiation issue, not a power issue, so to speak. Is that right? PAULETT: We definitely feel its affect on Earth. BLAIR: Yeah, like “magnetospherence.” That’s my word by the way. You can use it in any publications. CHRIS: Solar sails have been around for a long time. Right? PAULETT: The concept has been around f
