/sci/ - Science & Math

Based 'big gay' solar sail gets 2 million in NIAC funding. Actually I'm not sure if I like the design if it adds any appreciable mass when they can instead use electrochromic PV cells for attitude control and that would also provide onboard power.

> They are working on a sail made of a diffractive material, one that can bounce light in various directions without having to be rotated. It does this via tiny ridges in the material, the orientation of which can be changed by running an electric current through the sail. The resulting sail would have a rippling rainbow appearance as the ridges act like prisms.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2322031-nasa-awards-2-million-to-advance-rainbow-coloured-solar-sail-project/