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NASA has once again pushed boundary with launch of its recent technological exploration called Project Icarus. In an ambitious attempt to find alien life, a spaceship will rocket across space at an astounding 1,000,000 kilometres per hour. 

Packaged with cutting-edge technology, spacecraft is setting out on a mission to investigate unexplored areas of the universe, raising the prospect of finding evidence of alien life.

The solar sail permits spacecraft to travel at high speeds, which, prior was perceived to be impossible. This marks it one of the fastest objects created by humankind to travel into space. It is said to travel at 1,000,000 kilometres per hour, it breaking records & if it is successful, it might open doors for further research into furthest regions of our galaxy and beyond.

Over ages, rocket technology has evolved dramatically. Chinese & Mongolians began developing rockets in 13th century, they began launching rocket-powered arrows at one another. Since then, a lot has changed. We now have ion engines, solid & liquid rocket propellants, & solar sails with more advanced technology. However, the idea & vision of solar sails are not new. In writings titled “Somnium”, renowned planetary motion scientist Johannes Kepler initially proposed in 17th century, sunlight maybe utilised to push spaceships, until 20th Century same concept was confirmed by scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky of Russia described basic idea behind how solar sails could actually function.

How NASA’s Project Icarus is Revolutionising Space Travel with..

 A Solar Sail Revolution, solar sail sounds more like a fictional movie or story found in novel, a reality we all living on earth, solar sails are a mysterious magnificent method crossing void space, use sun’s photons, or light from sun, to move spaceship forward. Unlike traditional fuels, solar sails do not require fuel or a tank with fuel in it. Solar sails depend on consistent push of solar radiation. Given, it lowers spacecraft mass & increases mission time, it presents huge benefit for long-term space exploration. With solar sail covering several hundred square meters, spacecraft used for Project Icarus is able to gather solar energy at an astounding rate. 

NASA was able to create a mission this propulsion system can rapidly go great distances, spaceship travelling at speed of 1,000,000 km per hour, which is faster than anything humankind has ever produced. 

Due to fact, solar sail can operate longer periods of time with more efficiency, it may becoming preferred propulsion technology for upcoming deep-space research & their missions. It is a concept that is keeping researchers scientists on their feet.

Project Icarus is a ground-breaking expedition advances space exploration in addition to breaking speed records, ship ot
spacecraft’s trip to Mercury, which is being powered by a solar sail, is stretching the
bounds of what is feasible paving way for future missions that may go well beyond what is currently achievable. There is little doubt, this mission will advance knowledge of solar system & how we explore it.
https://www.eldiario24.com/en/nasa-launc...craft/828/

A beam of light could be used to propel a spacecraft to Alpha Centauri, the closest neighboring star system to Earth. This could be done by using a laser beam to exert radiation pressure on a highly-reflective sail. How it could work: 

Laser beam
An intense laser beam would exert radiation pressure on a highly-reflective sail.

Sail
The sail would be made of ultrathin sheets of aluminum oxide and molybdenum disulfide.

Speed
The probe could travel up to 1/5 the speed of light, which would be fast enough to reach Alpha Centauri in 20 years.

Challenges Power: 
The farther the probe is from the beam's source, the more power is required to transmit the same force.

Durability: The sail needs to survive the long journey to Alpha Centauri.

Breakthrough Starshot
A project announced in 2016 by physicist Yuri Milner and cosmologist Stephen Hawking to develop a laser-propelled starship.

Mission to Alpha Centauri
A project at the University of Sydney that uses radiation pressure to propel an object to the stars closest to Earth.