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An international research team boarded ESA\u2019s 86th parabolic flight campaign in May 2025 with ultralight graphene aerogels, then hit them with light during zero gravity phases to\u00a0observe\u00a0their reaction under space-like conditions.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside a vacuum chamber, a continuous laser beamed on three small cubes made of graphene aerogel. A high-speed camera recorded the action through glass tubes.\u202fThis video has been slowed down\u00a010 times; each experiment run lasted\u00a030 milliseconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The effect of the laser during the microgravity phases was startling: the graphene samples shot forward instantly.\u202fAnother finding was the ability to control\u00a0the propulsion\u00a0by tuning the light beam. The stronger the laser, the greater the acceleration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under Earth\u2019s gravity conditions, the aerogels barely moved at all.\u00a0The results, published in\u00a0Advanced Science,\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0that microgravity unlocks the potential of light propulsion for graphene aerogels in terms of velocity,\u00a0thrust\u00a0and distance.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lasers could one day steer solar sails and adjust a satellite\u2019s position in outer space, thanks to graphene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Graphene aerogels are ultralight, highly porous materials that merge graphene\u2019s exceptional electrical conductivity with the structural advantages of aerogel architecture. They\u00a0maintain\u00a0strong mechanical performance despite their low density.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Researchers at the Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium and Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) led the study.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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