Photonic materials for interstellar solar sailing

Solar sails are of great promise for space exploration, affording missions that push the limits of the possible. They enable a variety of novel science missions ranging from ultrafast interstellar travel to imaging the poles of the sun-missions that are beyond the reach of current propulsion technology. Here, we describe requirements and challenges associated with optical materials and photonic designs facing the next generation of solar sails. A technology development roadmap is outlined to guide researchers in pioneering the space faring future. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

Solar sails hold great promise for space exploration, enabling novel science missions beyond the reach of current propulsion technology. However, they face challenges in optical materials and photonic designs. A technology development roadmap is outlined to guide researchers in pioneering the space faring future.