solar sail
noun
: a propulsive device for a spacecraft that consists of a flat material (such as aluminized plastic) designed to receive thrust from solar radiation pressure
Examples of solar sail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That's why solar sails should enable us to go much farther out into space.
—
Rhett Allain, WIRED, 27 Sep. 2024
Well, after figuring out things like how to unfold the mirrors, steering, computation, and making a solar sail to power the electronics.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 25 Sep. 2024
Photons, or particles of light, knock against the solar sail and bounce off, like they’re reflected from a mirror.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 2024
The solar sail mission launched on April 23 on board Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from New Zealand.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for solar sail 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rhett Allain, WIRED, 27 Sep. 2024
Well, after figuring out things like how to unfold the mirrors, steering, computation, and making a solar sail to power the electronics.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 25 Sep. 2024
Photons, or particles of light, knock against the solar sail and bounce off, like they’re reflected from a mirror.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 2024
The solar sail mission launched on April 23 on board Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from New Zealand.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for solar sail
Dictionary Entries Near solar sail
Cite this Entry
“Solar sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solar%20sail. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share