solar sail spaceship theme
Massive sail-like sheets that can be folded an unfolded are used to harness energy from the sun. The energy can be used directly as propulsion or indirectly by being stored as electricity.
Examples
The colony ship in "Alien: Covenant" (2017) unfurled solar sails to gather power.
5 total · 1 choice · 1 major · 3 minor
| Story | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| ds93x22 | choice | Benjamin and Jake build a solar sail spacecraft and fly it all the way to Cardassia |
| movie: Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight (1985) | major | The story is premised on there being a network of giant lasers in the inner solar system that enabled beamed sailing spaceships to fly about everywhere. In particular, the story follows the adventures of the novice crew of the laser sailing space schooner Starlight as they embark on a historic interstellar test flight. |
| ds94x17 | minor | Akorem Laan arrived on a Bajoran lightship powered by solar sails |
| movie: Alien: Covenant (2017) | minor | The Covenant colony ship used solar sails for charging purposes. |
| shortstory: The Comet Doom (1928) | minor | The cyborgs flew to Earth in "four great cones" that were "driven through space by light-pressure". |