NASA Langley is testing solar sail technology that could reduce costs of space missions

A sunlight-propelled satellite floating though space on huge metallic sails sounds like an idea straight from science fiction.

But scientists at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton have spent five years making the technology a reality and plan to launch a test mission as soon as April 23. If successful, the sail technology could reduce the cost of space missions and make monitoring the sun much easier for scientists.