#Lightsail

[mindblowingscience]

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have taken a major step toward developing lightsails that could one day carry tiny spacecraft to distant star systems.

The new findings detail a method to measure the force of laser light on what are known as "ultrathin membranes." This is research that could help advance the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative's vision of laser-driven space travel.

Continue Reading.

[nelc]

[praveenk95-blog]

[outer-space-youtube]

Laser Pushing a Lite Sail?

I could tape a laser pen to a hot wheel’s car and put a Lite Sail in front of it, and have continuous motion or until the battery in the pen ran out of charge.‘Maybe that would work on the Moon, but Earth has an atmosphere that would need more power then what’s in a pen laser to have light rays push anything.’ The Angry Astronaut is telling us about a nuclear-powered laser on the space craft to…

[ultranurd]

Investigating Failed WordPress Uploads

I run this blog on a small Amazon Lightsail instance (1 GB RAM, 2 vCPU). Cheap! Most of the time, it’s fine, but it has a bad habit of dying sometimes on a large image upload. The Jetpack app reports the upload as failing (offering to try again) but my site is completely unresponsive. I can resolve this in one of two ways: either I can still SSH into the box, and restarting PHP with sudo…

[genxjamerican]

Migrating My WordPress Database from a Lightsail Instance to a Standalone Database

Last year, I moved this blog off of a EC2 instance running a too-old version of PHP to a Lightsail instance. I had to restart that instance in order to retrieve the images associated with all the prior posts so they looked exactly as they did before, but the end result was the same blog at a lower monthly cost. Since then, I installed and configured the WP Offload Media Lite plug-in to push all…

[worldgoit]

How to Connect Visual Studio Code (VSCode) with AWS Lightsail using Remote SSH

In this article, we will explore how to connect Visual Studio Code (VSCode) with AWS Lightsail using Remote SSH. AWS Lightsail is a simple and cost-effective way to launch and manage virtual private servers in the cloud, while VSCode is a popular and versatile code editor. By combining the power of both, developers can enhance their productivity and collaborate seamlessly on AWS Lightsail instances. Let's dive into the step-by-step process of setting up this connection. Ready

filezila HOST : You can find the host address in AWS Lightsail, and make sure to set a static IP.  Key File : You can download the key file from AWS Lightsail. How? 1. Remote - Download SSH Extension from VScode Remote - When you download SSH, Remote Explorer is activated on the left.

remote ssh 2. Specify emails and folders in Remote Explorer For remote configuration, specify the folder to install e-mail and settings. Any email can be set, and the folder can be added by default, ` C:/User/...(username)/.ssh/config`. Let's set the folder and open the folder with Vscode.

  3. Config file settings If you open the above folder (.../.ssh/config), the config file is set. Enter values ​​for HostName, User, and IdentityFile in the configuration file as shown below . Host xxxx.com   HostName 18.XXX.XX.XX - AWS Lightsail 고정 IP   User bitnami - (AWS Lightsail default username)   IdentityFile C:UsersXXDocumentsGitHubXXXLightsailDefaultKey-eu-central-1.pem - Location where the Security Key obtained from AWS Lightsail is stored

config 4. Remote folder connection If you click Remote Explorer on the left again, SSH is successfully connected. Click the connected SSH Host to open the relevant SSH. At this time, specify a folder. In my case, I found the folder location where Wordpress was installed and opened Wordpress.

wordpress folder 5. Done In my case, by opening the folder where Wordpress is located, I can open Wordpress in Vscode through SSH connection. Because of this, it has the advantage of being able to easily find code or find files instead of the existing Filezilla.

Conclusion By connecting Visual Studio Code using AWS Lightsail and remote SSH, developers have the opportunity to efficiently code, collaborate, and deploy applications. Combining the simplicity of AWS Lightsail with the powerful editing capabilities of VSCode increases productivity and streamlines the development process. Its easy setup and user-friendly interface make it accessible to developers of all levels. Connect your favorite code editor, Visual Studio Code, with AWS Lightsail to get all the benefits of remote development. Take advantage of cloud-based infrastructure, secure connectivity and collaboration capabilities to further enhance your development workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

- Can I connect to multiple AWS Lightsail instances simultaneously using VSCode remote SSH? - Yes, you can connect to multiple AWS Lightsail instances simultaneously. Each instance has its own VSCode window. - In addition to AWS Lightsail, is the VSCode remote SSH extension available on other cloud platforms? - Yes, you can use the VSCode remote SSH extension on other cloud platforms that support AWS Lightsail. - Is the Remote SSH extension available in the free version of Visual Studio Code? - Yes, the Remote SSH extension is available in both the free and paid versions of Visual Studio Code. - Are there any additional charges for connecting to AWS Lightsail via remote SSH? - No, there is an additional charge for connecting to your AWS Lightsail instance via remote SSH. Read the full article

[rizqifahma]

Move The Blog to AWS

I recently moved my blog(s) from DigitalOcean (DO) to AWS (Amazon Web Service). This is the very first time I use AWS service for my blog in my whole life. I use Lightsail product from AWS, because it’s more simple to manage compared to Amazon EC2. I know that EC2 is more customizable compared to Lightsail, but at this moment I just don’t have the time to do so. The reason I have been using DO…

[hustle-gram]

Amazon Lightsail

Amazon Lightsail is a virtual private server(VPS) service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is intended to make the process of deploying and administering web applications and webpages. With Lightsail, small businesses can easily set up virtual servers, storage, databases, and networking resources without the complexities typically associated with traditional server management... Read more

[michaelgabrill]

Concept Demonstration of Directed Energy Propulsion with Metasurface Lightsails

ECF 2024 Quadchart Ilic.pdf Ognjen Ilic University of Minnesota This effort will aim to demonstrate the feasibility of directed-energy propulsion through a combination of computational simulations and prototype testing. The project will model the interactions between lightsail material and a laser beam that can be pointed at the sail to propel the spacecraft. The results […] from NASA https://ift.tt/gV0Swrv

[alexriesart]

One of my early paintings, influenced by the artist Wayne Barlowe (and a bonus alternative take I never finished).

"The greater lightsail evolved to survive beneath the endless basket-bush marshes of its homeworld, surviving almost entirely on substances produced by the plants' bioluminescent nectaries.

In the process of feeding, the lightsails collect sticky seeds and pollen, serving to spread the marshes ever further. Too large for local predators, the lightsails have helped this biome cover huge swathes of the tropics; an invasion clearly visible from orbit."

[muellermh]

Welche AWS-Services stehen für Cloud Computing zur Verfügung?: Die Überschrift lautet: "Cloud Computing mit AWS: Die verschiedenen Services im Überblick"

#CloudComputing #AWS #AmazonEC2 #AmazonS3 #AmazonRDS #AWSElasticBeanstalk #AWSLambda #AmazonRedshift #AmazonKinesis #AmazonECS #AmazonLightsail #AWSFargate Entdecken Sie die verschiedenen Services von AWS für Cloud Computing und machen Sie sich mit den Vor- und Nachteilen vertraut!

Cloud Computing ist in vielerlei Hinsicht eine revolutionäre Technologie. Es bietet Unternehmen die Möglichkeit, ihr Rechenzentrum zu einer kostengünstigen, zuverlässigen und flexiblen Infrastruktur zu machen. Mit Cloud Computing können Unternehmen auf jeder Plattform, zu jeder Zeit und an jedem Ort auf ihre Rechenzentrumsressourcen zugreifen. Amazon Web Services (AWS) ist einer der führenden…

[thestellarcartographer]

I've completed another commission recently for @uss-solkar. This one of the primary sick bay and local deck layout for his ship - including the CMO's office, reception desk, attached lab, and a bunch of other areas.

The breakdown for these areas is below the cut.

The first thing, as always, is a block-out and scale test for the environment. This was based on a very detailed document I was given to give me some art direction.

Much like previous modelling I've done, I planned to do this as a single modelled area, but eventually pivoted to modelling each room individually. This gave me a lot more flexibility to alter things in the rooms but not messing up the whole scene. It did introduce some other issues, but I can live with the trade-offs.

The next thing to work out was the hallways.

These are based on the Star Trek Online aesthetic, and I decided while I was modelling individual sections that it would be much easier to have a modular system that I can twist around corners, or switch out parts for doors, consoles, windows, or whatever else was needed.

It also allowed me to (shameless plug incoming) put together my Star Trek horror/backrooms video Deck Zero. Give it a run, if you're into that sort of thing!

Once I was happy that I could create corridors to order, I started on the lab.

This is when I started working on the individual room modelling, which was a bit of a process to get right. Basically I modelled a single section of the room, then made it form along a curve in the shape of the room. This allowed me a lot more freedom to alter the room out, although came with a lot of teething problems initially, but came out looking better in the end, I think.

The elements in the room which I needed to ensure were present, included the circular computer console, the side desk, the TNG-era....wall orb...the corner desk, and the shelving. So obviously the next step was to do those.

After that, I had worked with the new method to build the room enough to be comfortable with it, so I started on the main sick bay and attached office.

Obviously this was probably the big focal point, so a lot of variations on a theme here, but the key is/was that it have a lot of bio-beds, a transporter, and several ways in/out of the rooms.

This meant building out a lot of assets, from the bio-beds, to the "laptops" used in TNG/Voyager, medical tricorders and other equipment, and the desks and trolleys to put this stuff on.

You might notice a lot of very specific tools which have been present in various Star Trek's over the years. I always like putting little touches in like this, as it helps sell the authenticity.

The CMO using the office is Bajoran, hence the painting on the rear wall. The shelves will eventually be filled out with various knicknacks including books, and a model of a Bajoran lightsail ship.

The window out into the corridor was also a request.

The last area to cover was an airlock to the internal cetacean ops to allow for medical teams to quickly access it. This was relatively easy to throw together, compared to the rest of the area.

And finally, it was putting the finishing touches in, like accurate LCARS, lighting, and all the other elements that go into making the final images at the start of the post.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

First steps taken toward developing interstellar lightsails

The idea of traveling through interstellar space using spacecraft propelled by ultrathin sails may sound like the stuff of sci-fi novels. But in fact, a program started in 2016 by Stephen Hawking and Yuri Milner, known as the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, has been exploring the idea. The concept is to use lasers to propel miniature space probes attached to "lightsails" to reach ultrafast speeds and eventually our nearest star system, Alpha Centauri.

Caltech is leading the worldwide community working toward achieving this audacious goal.

"The lightsail will travel faster than any previous spacecraft, with potential to eventually open interstellar distances to direct spacecraft exploration that are now only accessible by remote observation," explains Harry Atwater, the Otis Booth Leadership Chair of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science and the Howard Hughes Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science at Caltech.

Now, Atwater and his colleagues at Caltech have developed a platform for characterizing the ultrathin membranes that could one day be used to make these lightsails. Their test platform includes a way to measure the force that lasers exert on the sails and that will be used to send the spacecraft hurtling through space. The team's experiments mark the first step in moving from theoretical proposals and designs of lightsails to actual observations and measurements of the key concepts and potential materials.

"There are numerous challenges involved in developing a membrane that could ultimately be used as lightsail. It needs to withstand heat, hold its shape under pressure, and ride stably along the axis of a laser beam," Atwater says. "But before we can begin building such a sail, we need to understand how the materials respond to radiation pressure from lasers. We wanted to know if we could determine the force being exerted on a membrane just by measuring its movements. It turns out we can."

A paper describing the work appears in the journal Nature Photonics. The lead authors of the paper are postdoctoral scholar in applied physics Lior Michaeli and graduate student in applied physics Ramon Gao, both of Caltech.

The goal is to characterize the behavior of a freely moving lightsail. But as a first step, to begin studying the materials and propulsive forces in the lab, the team created a miniature lightsail that is tethered at the corners within a larger membrane.

The researchers used equipment in the Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech and a technique called electron beam lithography to carefully pattern a membrane of silicon nitride just 50 nanometers thick, creating something that looks like a microscopic trampoline.

The mini trampoline, a square just 40 microns wide and 40 microns long, is suspended at the corners by silicon nitride springs. Then the team hit the membrane with argon laser light at a visible wavelength. The goal was to measure the radiation pressure that the miniature lightsail experienced by measuring the trampoline's motions as it moved up and down.

But the picture from a physics perspective changes when the sail is tethered, says co-lead author Michaeli: "In this case, the dynamics become quite complex."

The sail acts as a mechanical resonator, vibrating like a trampoline when hit by light. A key challenge is that these vibrations are mainly driven by heat from the laser beam, which can mask the direct effect of radiation pressure. Michaeli says the team turned this challenge into an advantage, noting, "We not only avoided the unwanted heating effects but also used what we learned about the device's behavior to create a new way to measure light's force."

The new method lets the device act additionally as a power meter to measure both the force and power of the laser beam.

"The device represents a small lightsail, but a big part of our work was devising and realizing a scheme to precisely measure motion induced by long-range optical forces," says co-lead author Gao.

To do that, the team built what is called a common-path interferometer. In general, motion can be detected by the interference of two laser beams, where one hits the vibrating sample and the other traces a rigid location. However, in a common-path interferometer, because the two beams have traveled nearly the same path, they have encountered the same sources of environmental noise, such as equipment operating nearby or even people talking, and those signals get eliminated. All that remains is the very small signal from the motion of the sample.

The engineers integrated the interferometer into the microscope they used to study the miniature sail and housed the device within a custom-made vacuum chamber. They were then able to measure motions of the sail as small as picometers (trillionths of a meter) as well as its mechanical stiffness—that is, how much the springs deformed when the sail was pushed by the laser's radiation pressure.

Since the researchers know that a lightsail in space would not always remain perpendicular to a laser source on Earth, they next angled the laser beam to mimic this and again measured the force with which the laser pushed the mini sail.

Importantly, the researchers accounted for the laser beam spreading out at an angle and therefore missing the sample in some areas by calibrating their results to the laser power measured by the device itself. Yet, the force under those circumstances was lower than expected. In the paper, the researchers hypothesize that some of the beam, when directed at an angle, hits the edge of the sail, causing a portion of the light to get scattered and sent in other directions.

Looking forward, the team hopes to use nanoscience and metamaterials—materials carefully engineered at that tiny scale to have desirable properties—to help control the side-to-side motion and rotation of a miniature lightsail.

"The goal then would be to see if we can use these nanostructured surfaces to—for example—impart a restoring force or torque to a lightsail," says Gao. "If a lightsail were to move or rotate out of the laser beam, we would like it to move or rotate back on its own."

The researchers note that they can measure side-to-side motion and rotation with the platform described in the paper.

"This is an important stepping stone toward observing optical forces and torques designed to let a freely accelerating lightsail ride the laser beam," says Gao.

TOP IMAGE: From interstellar lightsails to laboratory-based lightsail platforms. Credit: Nature Photonics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-024-01605-w

LOWER IMAGE: Multiphysics platform for radiation pressure characterization in optomechanics. Credit: Nature Photonics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-024-01605-w

[ca-dmv-bot]

Less of a question than a suggestion, have you considered running this on something like Amazon lightsail, you could get an extremely low resource ubuntu box for like...less than ten bucks a month.

I've decided to switch to Contabo for my hosting solution of choice which is similarly priced. Combined with the Twitter subscription this comes around to ~$25/mo. Thank you for your suggestion!

[spacenutspod]

Light sail technology is a fascinating concept and a step change in rocket propulsion.  It may not be big and impressive like the Saturn V, the Space Shuttle or the new Starship rocket but when it comes to travelling among the stars, light sails could just be the answer. And what better material to build the sails from then something that just makes me want to say it over and over again….I talk about photonics crystals. It’s sounds right out of a Star Trek episode but a new paper examines their feasibility.  The concept of light sails is really quite simple. Instead of a fabric sail attached to a ship that harnesses the force of the wind, light sails harness the force of light to propel spacecraft through the cosmos. They rely upon the pressure of photons emitted by a powerful light source like a laser to generate low levels of thrust. The idea is that photons of light carry momentum and exert a force when they reflect off a surface. The deployment of large, super thin sails made of reflective material like Mylar – of the same variety used commonly in amateur astronomy to observe the Sun – the spacecraft can be pushed along, slowly accelerating but eventually to astonishing speeds.  Whilst light sails may not get a spaceship off the ground and into orbit, once deployed in space, the long slow acceleration is a very efficient way of travelling through space. This is not just science fiction, the Starshot Breakthrough project has become a leader in the field to develop a spacecraft to send humans to Proxima Centauri 4.3 light years away) in a human lifetime.  A paper recently published by a team led by Jin Chang explores the possibility of a new material for light sails known as nano manufactured photonics crystals. These crystals are  optical nanostructures (between microscopic and molecular scales) where the refractive index changes periodically. These occur in nature in the animal kingdom for example in the reflective nature of cat and dog eyes.  Reflection of camera flash from the tapetum lucidum – Credit : Greg Hume The team show how a silicon nitride photonics crystal with a thin silicon membrane can achieve the high levels of reflectivity in the 1300nm to 1500nm wavelengths required for light sails. The potential in the sails is significant with the manufacturing techniques able to scale up to several metres which may well set the scene for finally, if not slowly, sending humans across the galaxy.  SOURCE : Broadband, High-Reflectivity Dielectric Mirrors at Wafer Scale: Combining Photonic Crystal and Metasurface Architectures for Advanced Lightsails The post Photonic Crystals Could Be Exactly What Breakthrough Starshot is Looking For appeared first on Universe Today.