Les Johnson , Chief Technologist at NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, gave a lecture entitled “Solar Sail Propulsion For Exploring the Solar System” at HUN-REN SZTAKI on 24 October 2024 at the invitation of Balázs Németh, lead researcher at ARNL.

Mr. Johnson, who leads the development of new space technologies for the Center, carries out extensive activities not only in the field of research, but also in the field of popularization of science. During his lecture at HUN-REN SZTAKI, he introduced the audience to his current research, focusing on aspects of control theory, mechatronics and artificial intelligence, which are all closely linked to ARNL’s research areas.

“Imagine using sunlight to sail through space. Doing so is now possible using a solar sail. This exciting new type of space propulsion will enable small spacecraft to access propulsive-intense destinations, allowing observations of the Sun and deep space missions that are currently extremely difficult or impossible to achieve. The continuous photon pressure from the sun provides thrust, with no need for the heavy, expendable propellants employed by conventional on-board chemical and electric propulsion systems. NASA is developing solar sails ranging in size from 86 m2 (for use by extremely small spacecraft) to as large as 2,000 m2 for spacecraft with masses up to 100 kg. The fundamental physics of solar sailing will be described as will the exciting potential future missions they will enable: from those that help us better understand the sun to those that might one day allow us to send spacecraft to another star.”, said the abstract of the lecture.