2024-04-02 04:00:12
Solar sails could help discover extraterrestrial life on Europa and Enceladus, two moons of Jupiter and Saturn, assuming it exists. This technology using solar light as propulsion offers an alternative to traditional rockets, which are heavier and more energy-intensive. fuel.
Credit: JAXA
Manasvi Lingam, astrobiologist, emphasizes that solar sails, propelled by pression of the photons solar, do not require on-board fuel. This characteristic allows them to reach high speeds, paving the way forexploration from the confines of solar system, areas previously difficult to access. Probes equipped with solar sails could rally Europe in 1 to 4 years and Enceladus in 3 to 6 years, times considerably reduced compared to current technologies. Europa and Enceladus are particularly interesting to scientists because they are believed to harbor salty oceans beneath their frozen surfaces, reinforcing the hypothesis of the presence of life. The ability of solar sails to slow down as they approach these moons is crucial to enabling analysis of plumes ofeau without destroying possible indicators of life.
Solar sail technology, while not new—demonstrated by LightSail 2 and the Japanese Ikaros probe—suggests considerable potential for the future of space exploration, including possible interstellar missions such as the Breakthrough Starshot initiative. aiming Alpha Centauri.
These technological advances could mean the dawn of a new era in the quest for life beyond our planetby making it possible to explore places previously considered inaccessible.
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