news - next solar sail launch

[Phobos]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/11/10/solar.sail.ap/index.html


A solar sail spacecraft [Cosmos 1] designed to be propelled by the pressure of sunlight will be launched early next year [March - April]
...
A prototype of the society's sail was launched by Russia in 2001 but the rocket did not develop enough thrust and the spacecraft failed to separate from the booster.

Cosmos 1 is designed to go into a nearly polar orbit more than 500 miles high and operate for a month.

[marcus]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/11/10/solar.sail.ap/index.html

That's good news, Phobos. Glad you spotted it. It says that the windmill looking thing will be visible. I sometimes see satellites an hour or two after sunset---they'v always been polar orbit---going roughly north or south. and they look like slowly moving stars

I have the impression that this (because 100? foot diameter) should be
more noticeable. Hope someone at PF will tell us when to be on the lookout.