This scientific term has found much favour in sfTerminology. The stars constantly emit highly energetic particles as well as, of course, light, which is itself composed of tiny particles, photons (although here the word "particle" has a slightly different meaning). These particles exert a gentle outward pressure (which is why the tail of aComet always points away from theSun). A low-massSpaceship with a huge, incredibly thin sail, perhaps made of aluminium or aluminized plastic film, could take advantage of this pressure just as a yacht uses wind – hence the 1960s proliferation of rather charming space-sailing stories, including "The Lady who Sailed theSoul" (April 1960Galaxy) and "Think Blue, Count Two" (February 1963Galaxy) by CordwainerSmith, "Gateway to Strangeness" (August 1962Amazing; vt "Sail 25" inFuture Tense, coll1964; vt "Dust of Far Suns" inDust of Far Suns, vt of same coll1981) by JackVance and "Sunjammer" (March 1964Boys' Life; vt "The Wind from the Sun" inThe Wind from the Sun, coll1972) by Arthur CClarke. The concept even features in aMandrake the Magician cartoon strip from 26 April 1970.

A somewhat different light-pressure drive, using magicTechnology to render the spacecraft briefly inertialess so that it instantly acquires (almost) the speed of light, appears in Robert AHeinlein's "Misfit" (November 1939Astounding). Artificially boosting the solar wind with a massive planet-based laser installation to allow interstellar sail-flight is proposed in various later sf stories, such as LarryNiven's "The Fourth Profession" (inQUARK/4, anth1971, ed Samuel RDelany and MarilynHacker) and Niven's and JerryPournelle'sThe Mote in God's Eye (1974).

A relevant anthology including four original stories, a number of reprints and some nonfiction isProject Solar Sail (anth1990) edited byClarke and (anonymously) DavidBrin. [PN/DRL]

previous versions of this entry

• Internet Archive