Last night it was first reported that the indenpendently financed solar sail Cosmos-1 failed. Supposedly the second stage rocket engine experienced a failure - or so the reports I heard read.
However there are now signs that the spacecraft has made it into orbit. How useful a solar sail would be is doubtful in my opinion, as I've mentioned before on this blog. Though part of me wants this venture to succeed anyway. It's a private venture, privately funded, and got it start outside of a government program. We need more of this type of initiave to get humanity into space.
That alone makes me pray that Cosmos-1 is still alive.
Tip o' the hat to Curmudgeons.
Addendum:"If the spacecraft made it to orbit, its autonomous program might be working, and after four days the sails could automatically deploy. While the chances of this are very, very small, we still encourage optical observers to see if the sail can be seen after that time." -The Planetary Society
This quest might go on for days? Talk about not giving up.
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