New Scientist is running an article about a new solar sail method that could push a craft to Mars in about one month. Currently this is just a theoretical concept since the craft would need a push from a 60-megawatt microwave beam, which we currently do not have the capability of creating. Still, it’s a cool concept that could become a reality someday.
On the flip side, the Planetary Society is still on target to launch Cosmos 1, their experimental solar sail, on March 1st, 2005. I can’t wait to see how it performs.