Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have devised a new method of Solar Sail propulsion that could make the trip from Earth to Mars in just one month.
Researchers from nine nations and from various groups across the United States met recently to discuss progress on laser propulsion or "beam solar sailing."
NASA and the U.S. Air Force are slated to launch laser-propelled vehicles, dubbed 'Lightcraft', in mid-August. Lightcraft fly atop a beam of laser light, harnessing the beam's energy and converting it into propulsive thrust.