Editing Solar sail (section)

==Projects still in development or unknown status==

===Gossamer deorbit sail===
{{asof|2013|12}}, the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) has a proposed deorbit sail, named "''Gossamer''", that would be intended to be used to accelerate the deorbiting of small (less than {{convert|700|kg}}) artificial satellites from [[low Earth orbit]]s.  The launch mass is {{convert|2|kg}} with a launch volume of only {{convert|15|*|15|*|25|cm|ft}}.  Once deployed, the sail would expand to {{convert|5|x|5|m|ft}} and would use a combination of solar pressure on the sail and increased atmospheric drag to accelerate satellite [[atmospheric entry|reentry]].<ref name=ps20131226>{{cite news |last=Messier |first=Doug |title=ESA Developing Solar Sail to Safely Deorbit Satellites |url=http://www.parabolicarc.com/2013/12/26/esa-solar-sail-deorbiter/ |access-date=2013-12-28 |newspaper=Parabolic Arc |date=2013-12-26 |archive-date=2013-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227102738/http://www.parabolicarc.com/2013/12/26/esa-solar-sail-deorbiter/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Breakthrough Starshot===
{{main|Breakthrough Starshot}}
The well-funded Breakthrough Starshot project announced on April 12, 2016, aims to develop a fleet of 1000 light sail nanocraft carrying miniature cameras, propelled by ground-based lasers and send them to [[Alpha Centauri]] at 20% the speed of light.<ref name="Starshot home">{{cite web |url=http://breakthroughinitiatives.org/Initiative/3 |title=Breakthrough Starshot |work=Breakthrough Initiatives |date=12 April 2016 |access-date=2016-04-12 }}</ref><ref name="concept'">[http://breakthroughinitiatives.org/Concept/3 Starshot - Concept].</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://breakthroughinitiatives.org/Target/3|title=Breakthrough Initiatives|website=breakthroughinitiatives.org}}</ref> The trip would take 20 years.