A Bajoran lightship with solar sails
A solar sail is a structure that forms a method of propulsion, based on the reflection of light.
A star or some other light source - such as a laser - provides thrust through the absorption or reflection of photons (so-called radiation pressure) by a large sail fitted onto the spacecraft.
An interesting feature of solar sail technology is that the radiation pressure decreases proportionally to the gravity of the star, meaning that theoretically the provided thrust remains identical regardless of the distance to the star. An advantage over other methods of propulsion is that solar sail-equipped vessels does not require fuel of any type to operate.
Because solar sails have have an unusually high surface area relative to their weight, Bajoran lightships are capable of faster-than-light speeds and perform interstellar travel, travelling as far as the Cardassia system due to the presence of tachyon eddies in their star system. The Bajorans used solar sails as early as the 16th century, and continued to do so until as late as the 21st century. (DS9: "Explorers")
External links
- Solar sail at Wikipedia.