solar sail
noun
: a propulsive device for a spacecraft that consists of a flat material (such as aluminized plastic) designed to receive thrust from solar radiation pressure
Examples of solar sail in a Sentence
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But there is a bright spot on the near horizon for solar sail tests.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 26 Jan. 2015
Other spacecraft have used radiation pressure to adjust their orbits, and solar sails have already had a few successful missions.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Jan. 2015
Space weather experts explain — Invisible 'flickering' on the sun could predict potentially dangerous solar flares hours in advance
By using solar sails, spacecraft can navigate further upstream of the solar wind, which, in turn, can increase lead times for alerts by 50%, Azeem explained.
—Meredith Garofalo, Space.com, 16 Feb. 2025
There are alternatives to chemical rockets, such as ion drives and solar sails, but these produce minuscule thrust and have limited applications.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 20 Jan. 2025
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IEEE Spectrum, 26 Jan. 2015
Other spacecraft have used radiation pressure to adjust their orbits, and solar sails have already had a few successful missions.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Jan. 2015
Space weather experts explain — Invisible 'flickering' on the sun could predict potentially dangerous solar flares hours in advance
By using solar sails, spacecraft can navigate further upstream of the solar wind, which, in turn, can increase lead times for alerts by 50%, Azeem explained.
—Meredith Garofalo, Space.com, 16 Feb. 2025
There are alternatives to chemical rockets, such as ion drives and solar sails, but these produce minuscule thrust and have limited applications.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for solar sail
Cite this Entry
“Solar sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solar%20sail. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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