Interplanetary travel could be guided by solar sails.

A team of scientists led by Slava Turyshev of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology has proposed merging miniature satellite units with a solar energy process to create a fast, inexpensive, lightweight mode of travel for space exploration. The researchers refer to the merging of these two technologies as the Sundiver Concept. With enhanced maneuverability, the spacecraft can easily deliver small payloads to multiple destinations if required, and can dock with related modular craft. The reliance on the sun and the miniaturization of the carrier, which requires no dedicated launch site, will prove to be significant cost savers.