SolarThrusterSailor

If the sail foil of the solar sail is made of or covered with thin film solar cells a lot of electric power would be available for electric thrusters. The sail would not alone be used for propulsion but also for energy harvesting. The large surface of a solar sail spacecraft could generate more energy than todays satellites have available for operation. Though the loss of reflection through solar cells could cut the solar radiation force, which propells the sail, almost in half.