First Solar Sail Spacecraft to be Launched

June 19, 2005 D. H. McKee

Off

Cosmos 1 will be the first mission to test the concept of sailing on light, using the pressure of photons to propel it through space. Reflected light pressure will push against eight giant reflective blades, designed to adjust to the continuously changing orbital energy and spacecraft velocity.
When Cosmos 1, the first solar sail spacecraft, launches on June 21, 2005, it will carry into Earth orbit a CD containing the names of over 75,000 members of The Planetary Society and the Japan Planetary Society, along with the works of early visionaries who inspired solar sailing.
Cosmos 1 is a project of The Planetary Society and Cosmos Studios. Built in Russia, it will launch atop a converted ICBM from a submerged Russian submarine in the Barents Sea. Data obtained during the flight of Cosmos 1 will assist the world space community in analyzing and developing future solar sail technologies, such as those presaged on the CD in an historic essay by F.A. Tsander and a science fiction story by Arthur C. Clarke. See the full CD contents at http://www.planetary.org/solarsailcd/
Cosmos 1 – First Solar Sail Spacecraft to be Launched on Tuesday

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As a guy who occasionally curates art shows and wrangles artists together, I often have to edit and post artist bios, profile pictures, and artwork images. This can be a problem, since many artists and writers aren’t used to selling themselves. Artists rarely know how to present their art for display in a brochure, and writers aren’t used to writing about themselves.

Writers often treat the bio like it’s an interview or something. Maybe like they’re having a conversation with you, the reader. While it may work sometimes, the most common way to write a bio is to write in the 3rd person.

I’m like those writers, and I’m talking to you directly, unlike the common way to do a bio. You should see my About page. It makes sense to me, since this is a bit which describes my blog’s website. When I get famous enough that I don’t have time to talk to you, I’ll have an intern write everything in 3rd person. Until then, you get to talk to me.

Like blogs of old, this one is a personal document of the comings and goings of me. Articles I’ve written, links I’ve posted, videos I liked, etc. Here, a first-person perspective is the way to go, at least for now. So, this is my site. I’m D. H. McKee, a sometimes artist, sometimes writer. Mostly just a guy on the internet.