Ikaros Spacecraft Successfully Propelled In Space 229
Posted
by
timothy
from the best-place-for-it-really dept.
from the best-place-for-it-really dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Japan's IKAROS spacecraft has already successfully deployed the first solar sail in space, but today it made the only first that really matters: it successfully captured the sun's rays with its 3,000-square-foot sail and used the energy to speed its way through space. Each photon of light exerts 0.0002 pounds of pressure on the 3,000-square-foot sail, and the steady stream of solar exposure has succeeded in propelling the nearly 700-pound drone."
Re:Sad writing (and summary) (Score:5, Funny)
Someone should ask the writers why they can stand outside on a summer's day and no be pounded into the pavement.
Wow! (Score:5, Funny)
Re: Use scientific units... (Score:3, Funny)
"Japan's IKAROS spacecraft has already successfully deployed the first solar sail in space, but today it made the only first that really matters: it successfully captured the sun's rays with its 278.709 square meter-sail and used the energy to speed its way through space. Each photon of light exerts 0.090718474 grams of pressure on the 278.709 square meter-sail, and the steady stream of solar exposure has succeeded in propelling the nearly 317.514659 kilogram-drone."
Better?
Re:Sad writing (and summary) (Score:5, Funny)
No...thank the Holy Google. I am merely an Earthly conduit.
Re:Pound of pressure? (Score:2, Funny)
Troglodyte? Who? Me? (Score:5, Funny)
That's why I stay indoors.
Re:Sad writing (and summary) (Score:5, Funny)
You must be new here...
Re:I wouldn't call it IKAROS (Score:1, Funny)
Huh.
So you CAN tack in space...!
Re:Google thinks it can hit light speed in 7 years (Score:3, Funny)
We've begun implementing Microsoft's latest "developer stack" at work. Now every time someone refers to "TFS", I think "what, Slashdot is on Team Foundation Server too?" Great. Thanks Microsoft.
Re:Sad writing (and summary) (Score:5, Funny)
Someone should ask the writers why they can stand outside on a summer's day and no be pounded into the pavement.
They are not pounded into the ground because reflected light from the pavement pounds back with an upward force.
Re:Sad writing (and summary) (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Ok, we get it (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Sad writing (and summary) (Score:3, Funny)
Go ahead and joke all you want, I'm not coming out of the basement until it's proven that sunlight won't pound you into the pavement.