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Planetary Society's LightSail Has Finally Deployed After Multiple Setbacks

posted by CoolHand on Tuesday June 09 2015, @04:20PM   Printer-friendly
from the if-at-first-we-dont-succeed dept.

ticho writes:

We've previously covered the Lightsail projects tribulations... Now there is better news.

Washington Post reports:

Since launching on May 20, the Planetary Society's solar sail prototype -- called LightSail and inspired by an idea Carl Sagan championed decades ago -- hasn't exactly had smooth seas.

A glitch made the tiny satellite holding the folded sail unreachable from Earth for a time. Even after communications were re-established, it took days to get the spacecraft to do the one thing it was sent up to do -- deploy its sail, proving that a propulsion system thinner than human hair could be packed away and unfurled safely in space.

On June 7, the Planetary Society reports, the sail finally unfurled.

Original announcement straight from Planetary Society can be found here.

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Hartree on Tuesday June 09 2015, @05:50PM

    by Hartree (195) on Tuesday June 09 2015, @05:50PM (#194142)

    So, you go to another thread to post offtopic ranting about it. Thus drawing more attention to it.

    Uh. Why do I suspect that you're actually gewg_ doing some advertising for your post?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   2  

  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 09 2015, @05:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 09 2015, @05:58PM (#194147)

    Meta discussion about Soylent News and pending submissions is on-topic in any and every topic. Anyone who mods down such discussion has moderated abusively.

    Obviously the point is to draw attention to that submission. That way the editors can throw it out right away, without risking such shit ending up on the front page, like has happened so often recently.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 09 2015, @10:35PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 09 2015, @10:35PM (#194282)

    I suspect that you're actually gewg_ doing some advertising for your post

    Careful, now. You're giving me ideas. 8-)

    ...and the submission in question has as key points EXPLOSIVES and A BATTERING RAM.
    You don't even have to buy a theater ticket or look in TV Guide!

    -- gewg_

    • (Score: 2) by Hartree on Wednesday June 10 2015, @06:30PM

      by Hartree (195) on Wednesday June 10 2015, @06:30PM (#194616)

      "EXPLOSIVES and A BATTERING RAM. You don't even have to buy a theater ticket "

      So... You're saying you're really Michael Bay in disguise? Who'da thunk it. ;)