Solar Sail Will Demonstrate “Propellant-less Propulsion”

The Sunjammer Mission team — including NASA, lead contractor L’Garde, Space Services Holdings (SSHI), and Micro Aerospace Solutions — is preparing to launch Sunjammer, the largest solar sail ever deployed, named in honor of legendary science fiction author Sir Arthur C. Clarke. In a 1963 novella, Clarke christened a solar sailing ship “Sunjammer,” powered only by the pressure created by photons from the Sun.