spacetoday.net: space news from around the webin association with SpaceNews


Solar sail launch date set
Posted: Wed, Nov 10, 2004, 8:13 PM ET (0113 GMT)
Cosmos 1 solar sail A privately-developed solar sail is now scheduled for launch in March of next year, The Planetary Society announced Tuesday. The Cosmos 1 solar sail will be launched by a Russian sub-based Volna booster on March 1, 2005, at the beginning of a launch window that extends to April 7. Cosmos 1 aims to be the first orbital, controlled flight test of a solar sail, using only solar photons to propel the spacecraft. The venture has been run by The Planetary Society with funding provided by a private company, Cosmos Studios; most of the work has been done by the Russian company NPO Lavochkin. The project was announced in early 2001 and a failed suborbital test flight took place in July 2001. Tuesday's announcement coincided with the 70th anniversary of the birth of Carl Sagan, a cofounder of The Planetary Society.
<<previous article   next article>>
news in brief
Starship explodes during preparations for static-fire test
Posted: Sun, Jun 22 6:52 AM ET (1052 GMT)

French government leads investment in Eutelsat
Posted: Sat, Jun 21 8:38 AM ET (1238 GMT)

NASA further delays Ax-4 launch
Posted: Sat, Jun 21 8:34 AM ET (1234 GMT)

news links
Thursday, June 26
Oman's Duqm spaceport plans five launches in 2025
Times Aerospace — 5:00 am ET (0900 GMT)


about spacetoday.net   ·   info@spacetoday.net   ·   mailing list