#SailInSpace - An idea once proposed by astronomer Carl Sagan for a ship that could 'sail' through outer space may become a reality after a crowdfunding campaign spearheaded by Bill Nye 'the Science Guy'.

As the Washington Post reports, the LightSail concept reached its Kickstarter goal of $200,000 in just 24 hours, and marks the first step towards what Nye hopes to be a prototype for an affordable 'people's spacecraft'.

LightSail uses fabric 'solar sails' that, rather than catching wind like they would on Earth's oceans, would catch photons from the sun's rays to slowly but surely propel tiny spacecraft through space.

While the concept is a long way from being a solution for human space travel, it could open up space exploration to hobbyists and students around the world and usher in a new era of discovery.

The Washington Post has more on the story HERE.

#SolarSail - Ahead of the start of this year's Route du Rhum offshore race, UK Sailmakers gave a special preview of their state-of-the-art solar mainsail that will get its first proper sea trial on board the IMOCA 50 yacht Martinique Challenge.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the revolutionary new sail uses the French-designed SolarCloth System, whereby photovoltaic cells are woven into the fabric in a flexible film – allowing whatever boat hoisting it to generate power from the sun, even without direct sunlight.

The SolarCloth System has been specially designed for offshore races such as the Route du Rhum, so it will be interesting to see how the technology performs when the Martinique Challenge sets sail from Saint-Malo tomorrow with a fleet that includes an Open 60 piloted by the legendary Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.