Holographic Calling Card Sent into Space

Holographic textiles are often used in fashion and design to add a futuristic and eye-catching element to clothing, but an article in The Cornell Chronicle (produced by Cornell University in Ithaca, New York) explains how holographic effects are being used to dress a satellite.

A project to launch Cornell-made satellite technology into a neighbouring solar system is being celebrated at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City.

The new exhibit, ‘Postcards from Earth: Holograms on an Interstellar Journey’ ¹, showcases the project, in which a small, low-cost satellite (CubeSat) will be released into low Earth orbit and will deploy a ‘light sail’ that is only 0.18 mm thick. This prototype will demonstrate the potential of making the 40-trillion-mile trek to Earth’s closest star system – Alpha Centauri.