Sails

HD Hyundai has announced that the Prism Courage, a 122,000 tonne ultra-large natural gas tanker operated by its subsidiary Avikus, has become the first large ship to make an ocean passage of over 10,000 km (6,210 miles) under autonomous control.A ship that is capable of sailing itself isn't new. Even the smallest vessel can be equipped with an automatic pilot and it isn't uncommon to come across stories of freighters steaming into harbor without a soul aboard after being prematurely abandoned by their crews. In fact, even…

Sails helped humans navigate the oceans and seas for hundreds of years before the first engines could be developed. But now sails may also help humans explore the cosmos. NASA is working towards tests that could demonstrate that solar sails could be a viable way for space-based travel. Solar sails are mirror-like devices mounted on spacecraft that capture the Sun's light. The captured light exerts radiation pressure on the sails and thus propels the spacecraft through the vacuum of space. Solar sails have been used…