Phys.org  December 6, 2022 Inspired by the dynamic soaring maneuvers performed by sea birds and gliders in which differences in wind speed are exploited to gain velocity, an international team of researchers (Canada, USA – industry) proposed a technique in which a lift-generating spacecraft circles between regions of the heliosphere that have different wind speeds, gaining energy in the process without the use of propellant and only modest onboard power requirements. Detailed models of the spacecraft trajectory were developed to predict the potential velocity gains and the maximum velocity that might be achieved in terms of the lift-to-drag ratio of […]