Chillin' on my Solar Sail

celandine

So, the Japanese actually made a solar sail, a spacecraft powered by photons. I've been waiting for this day since I read about this in a battered Larry Niven paperback. This is ridiculously awesome.

So, what's new and cool in space travel, everyone?

Squall

but will it take me to the mcp?

Muggins

FUCK YES

NOW MAKE OLD SHIPS CAPABLE OF SURVIVING IN SPACE

TREASURE PLANET WILL BECOME A REALITY YET

Grey Ghost

Of course it was the Japanese

This is pretty rad

rhylith

This is badass!

lostwords

They also made an iron man suit recently, for space marining. But it looks kinda lame

Umaro

I'm going to spread my solar sails

and fly away fly away

Ashcroft

I'm more impressed that the first attempt at something related to space travel didn't end up in the usual failure.

Tam

sail away sail away

into space

for being such an awesome thing, this reminded me of Enya

Grey Ghost

I'm solar saaaaaaaaailiiiiiiiing awaaaaaaaaaaay

Set an open course

For the Pleiadeeeeeeeeeees

Tam

from Earth to the Moon feel the power of the Photon
we can sail, we can sail
sail away, sail away, into space
we can sail, we can sail
sail away, sail away, into space

BusterK

Count Dooku is escaping!

Liiya

Grey Ghost wrote: »

I'm solar saaaaaaaaailiiiiiiiing awaaaaaaaaaaay

Set an open course

For the Pleiadeeeeeeeeeees

On board I'm an roboooot

gatherrring rooooocks

And I'll try, oh lord, I'll try

to fiiiiiiiind some life.

This is coming home today. Is this the same thing?

JayKaos

Liiya wrote: »

Grey Ghost wrote: »

I'm solar saaaaaaaaailiiiiiiiing awaaaaaaaaaaay

Set an open course

For the Pleiadeeeeeeeeeees

On board I'm an roboooot

gatherrring rooooocks

And I'll try, oh lord, I'll try

to fiiiiiiiind some life.

This is coming home today. Is this the same thing?

Different equally cool Japanese thing I think. That's the first probe to hopefully bring back a piece of an asteroid (won't know for sure until they pop open the case and have a look-see). Here is video of it burning up on reentry which supposedly was all according to plan (actual capsule with sample ejected):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Xp_-_gLTA&feature=player_embedded

spazmojack

sweet, time to commandeer me a spaceboat!

PiptheFair

the japanese are the eldar

this settles it

Meissnerd

Veretas wrote: »

FUCK YES

NOW MAKE OLD SHIPS CAPABLE OF SURVIVING IN SPACE

TREASURE PLANET WILL BECOME A REALITY YET

use more caps lock and obama will start funding nasa

Franko

so wait isn't the 'wind' to this sail the sun? Can we only fly away from the sun and for how long
I HAVE QUESTIONS AND I NEED ANSWERS

Kuribo's Shoe

I think Treasure Planet was the last good 2d Disney movie before the Dark Times

CorporateLogo

Pfff the Eldar did solar sails first

PiptheFair

CorporateLogo wrote: »

Pfff the Eldar did solar sails first

and I made this post first 8-)

celandine

Franko wrote: »

so wait isn't the 'wind' to this sail the sun? Can we only fly away from the sun and for how long
I HAVE QUESTIONS AND I NEED ANSWERS

I believe you could alter course by swinging around a planet and using the momentum.
Alternatively, it's conceivably possible to store enough solar energy to power booster rockets.

CorporateLogo

PiptheFair wrote: »

CorporateLogo wrote: »

Pfff the Eldar did solar sails first

and I made this post first 8-)

well son of a bitch

AgentofOrange

one little meteor would rip a sizable hole through that

Henroid

Japan has a space program?

Bogey

Squall wrote: »

but will it take me to the mcp?

This, right here, wins the thread.

Orikaeshigitae

ok, now i want pills that recode my RNA to give me prophet-like powers

SLyM

I was under the impression that space was filled with tiny, hyper-fast moving space dust that would perforate something as thin as that into swiss cheese in seconds. Only, more swiss than cheese once space was done with it.

Aneurhythmia

They named it IKAROS? Really? Are they going to name their first interplanetary passenger craft TAITENIKKU?

Houk

Henroid wrote: »

Japan has a space program?

Japan is actually in space

We're not supposed to tell anyone, but it's pretty sweet

Faricazy

Aneurhythmia wrote: »

They named it IKAROS? Really? Are they going to name their first interplanetary passenger craft TAITENIKKU?

Orikaeshigitae

Someone needs to make a Ringworld game that isn't Halo.

Huntera

PiptheFair wrote: »

the japanese are the eldar

this settles it

I was gonna make this post, why you all gotta be so fast.

Druhim

Henroid wrote: »

Japan has a space program?

silly boy

Count Zero

Man america better step up its game before japan gets dibs on all the best space.

Staleghoti

So how long until I'm an intergalactic space-pirate bounty-hunter?

Hunter

Druhim wrote: »

Henroid wrote: »

Japan has a space program?

silly boy

Now once their angst powered giant mecha robot program comes through they can conquer space.

The Otaku Suppository

Count Zero wrote: »

Man america better step up its game before japan gets dibs on all the best space.

No it's ok because the property keeps expanding.

Also, how long until we get giant battleships in space named after obsolete Japanese warships?

L|ama

SLyM wrote: »

I was under the impression that space was filled with tiny, hyper-fast moving space dust that would perforate something as thin as that into swiss cheese in seconds. Only, more swiss than cheese once space was done with it.

AgentofOrange wrote: »

one little meteor would rip a sizable hole through that

one little meteor would rip a sizable hole through anything we chuck into space.



also cool: the falcon 9 doing its thing over australia and making a spiral pattern almost identical to the one over norway a couple of months ago that dumb people said was aliens.

L|ama

The Otaku Suppository wrote: »

Count Zero wrote: »

Man america better step up its game before japan gets dibs on all the best space.

No it's ok because the property keeps expanding.

Also, how long until we get giant battleships in space named after obsolete Japanese warships?

fuck you the yamato is so awesome that it will never be obsolete

well, more obsolete, considering it was obsolete from the moment it was launched, but still
awesome.

cadmunky

celandine wrote: »

So, the Japanese actually made a solar sail, a spacecraft powered by photons. I've been waiting for this day since I read about this in a battered Larry Niven paperback. This is ridiculously awesome.

So, what's new and cool in space travel, everyone?

you and me both sister.

oh, and did we talk about this yet?

Japanese firm wants to transform the Moon into a giant solar power plant