今年5月，日本的太阳能飞船（也就是太阳能供电）正式发射，且仅以太阳光就成功进行了驱动。
日本宇宙航空研究开发机构的飞船Ikaros在5月21日成功发射后，沿着金星方向的人造卫星Akatsuki转动。现在它代表第一个太阳帆，成功利用太阳光进行飞船的姿态控制和推进。
通过使用少量的电力来进行开关，帆边沿的液态透明电池板能够改变光表面反射。当开启时，装置就会形成一个镜面反射驱动飞船前进；而处于关闭状态时，装置就会形成一个慢反射，从而从各个方向重新收集太阳光，减轻对帆板的压力。
这使Ikaros在来自边沿太阳光不同压力时，可缓慢改变其运行方向。而飞船控制员必须估算好与太阳的距离，旋转速度，以及标出飞船飞行全过程的太阳角度。
7月13日到7月14日，该飞船持续了近一整天的飞行。同时，任务控制员也实现了预期姿态控制角度近90%的准确率。
Japan's solar sail — a sun-powered spacecraft launched in May — has successfully steered by using just the pressure of sunlight against its square polymer sail, Japan space officials said.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spacecraft Ikaros now represents the first solar sail to have harnessed sunlight for both attitude control and propulsion, after it first launched May 21 alongside the Venus-bound orbiter Akatsuki.
Liquid crystal panels on the edges of the sail can change their surface reflection of sunlight by using low amounts of electricity to turn on or off. The "on" setting creates a mirror-like reflection that pushes the spacecraft forward, while the "off" setting has a more diffuse reflection that redirects the pressure of sunlight in all directions, lessening the force against the sail.
That allows Ikaros to slowly change direction based upon the different pressures of sunlight reflecting from its edges. Mission controllers have to account for the solar sail's spin rate, distance to the sun and the sun angle to plot the spacecraft's course.
An almost day-long test of the steering took place between the early morning hours of July 13 and July 14. Mission controllers achieved more than 90 percent of their expected attitude control angle.
>
>
