Used where?dansmith170 said:
I think what you are really trying to say is that you would have liked to have seen a different vehicle used for this?anorlunda said:
Solar sails are a type of spacecraft propulsion system that uses the pressure of sunlight to propel a spacecraft forward. The sail is made of a thin, reflective material that reflects sunlight and transfers its momentum to the spacecraft, allowing it to accelerate.
The main limitation of solar sails is the relatively low amount of thrust they can produce. This limits their use to long-distance, interplanetary missions where speed is not the primary concern. Additionally, solar sails are dependent on the availability of sunlight, so they are not suitable for missions in areas with low levels of sunlight, such as the outer solar system.
The size of a solar sail depends on the desired acceleration and the distance of the mission. Generally, larger sails will produce more thrust, but they also require more material and are more difficult to deploy. It is estimated that a solar sail for a typical interplanetary mission would need to be several hundred meters in diameter.
At this time, solar sails are not suitable for manned missions due to the low thrust they produce. Additionally, the long travel times and reliance on sunlight make them impractical for human missions. However, research is ongoing to improve the technology and make it more feasible for manned missions in the future.
Recent advancements in solar sail technology include the development of new, lightweight materials for the sail, as well as improved deployment mechanisms. There have also been successful demonstrations of solar sail missions, such as the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's IKAROS mission in 2010. Ongoing research is focused on improving the efficiency and practicality of solar sails for future space missions.