New material can fly by light propulsion, the first ever light is used to propel an object

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Graphene film (file photo)

According to xinhuanet.com’s report on June 19, through 3 years of research, Prof. Chen Yongsheng of the College of Chemistry and Prof Tian Jianguo of the Institute of Physics, Nankai University have obtained a special graphene material for light-driven flight.

Due to the special electronic characteristic of graphene and the macrostructure and form of the material, the material is able to get driving force from light 1,000 times greater than ordinary light pressure.

The website’s reporter saw with his own eyes a graphene sponge in the shape of a round biscuit move 40 cm horizontally and vertically with the propulsion of various kinds of light.
Prof. Chen said that according to calculation, a 500kg load with a driving sail made of the graphene material can get at least an acceleration per second of 0.09 m/s in theory.

So far, chemical propulsion is used for almost all aviation and spaceflight, but chemical propulsion limited human race’s exploration of the universe due to the limit of chemical fuel a spaceship can carry. As there is light in universe, flight directly propelled by light has long been scientists’ and astronauts’ dream. Now China will make such dream come true.

xinhuanet.com “China’s new material can fly by light propulsion, the first ever light is used to propel an object”