CubeSats are becoming ever more popular, with about 2,400 total launched so far. However, the small size limits their options for fundamental space exploration technologies, including propulsion.

To achieve 20 percent of the speed of light (0.2 c), the Starshot nanocraft and sail would require a 100 Gigawatt (100 billion watts) laser array to push the sail for a sustained period of 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, a journey to the heliopause (the demarcation line for interstellar space where the sun’s magnetic forces cease to influence objects) could take between 4.2 and 5.3 years.

Related: Solar-sailing probes may soon get their moment in the sun NOAA's Office of Space Weather Observations oversees the agency's operational satellite systems in space, which provide crucial ...

Meet the women making waves in the male-dominated sport of sailing as they challenge stereotypes and age-old superstitions. Ancient sailors believed it was a bad omen, angering the sea gods and ...

Nobody knows why, but the Earth's magnetic field - which has lost almost 10% of its strength over the last two centuries - is growing particularly weak in a large region stretching from Africa to ...

Women sailing during SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week. ... “Sailing is my great passion, but I see this [race week] as a way to share that passion with my family and friends,” Mr Permezel said.