Summary:
- NASA is launching a solar sail demonstration mission called NEA Scout, which will use a lightweight, reflective solar sail to propel itself through space.
- The solar sail is made of a thin, reflective material that can capture the momentum of sunlight to propel the spacecraft, allowing it to travel long distances without the need for heavy fuel.
- NEA Scout will demonstrate the capabilities of solar sail technology, which could be used for future deep-space exploration missions, as it travels to a near-Earth asteroid to study its surface and composition.