Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
An international research team boarded ESA’s 86th parabolic flight campaign in May 2025 with ultralight graphene aerogels, then hit them with light during zero gravity phases to observe their reaction under space-like conditions.
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. This video has been slowed down 10 times; each experiment run lasted 30 milliseconds.
The effect of the laser during the microgravity phases was startling: the graphene samples shot forward instantly. Another finding was the ability to control the propulsion by tuning the light beam. The stronger the laser, the greater the acceleration.
Under Earth’s gravity conditions, the aerogels barely moved at all. The results, published in Advanced Science, demonstrate that microgravity unlocks the potential of light propulsion for graphene aerogels in terms of velocity, thrust and distance.
Lasers could one day steer solar sails and adjust a satellite’s position in outer space, thanks to graphene.
Graphene aerogels are ultralight, highly porous materials that merge graphene’s exceptional electrical conductivity with the structural advantages of aerogel architecture. They maintain strong mechanical performance despite their low density.
Researchers at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium and Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) led the study.
Credits: ESA/ULB/ Khalifa University
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/04/Graphene_and_lasers_for_space_propulsion
Our main YouTube channel: youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
An international research team boarded ESA’s 86th parabolic flight campaign in May 2025 with ultralight graphene aerogels, then hit them with light during zero gravity phases to observe their reaction under space-like conditions.
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. This video has been slowed down 10 times; each experiment run lasted 30 milliseconds.
The effect of the laser during the microgravity phases was startling: the graphene samples shot forward instantly. Another finding was the ability to control the propulsion by tuning the light beam. The stronger the laser, the greater the acceleration.
Under Earth’s gravity conditions, the aerogels barely moved at all. The results, published in Advanced Science, demonstrate that microgravity unlocks the potential of light propulsion for graphene aerogels in terms of velocity, thrust and distance.
Lasers could one day steer solar sails and adjust a satellite’s position in outer space, thanks to graphene.
Graphene aerogels are ultralight, highly porous materials that merge graphene’s exceptional electrical conductivity with the structural advantages of aerogel architecture. They maintain strong mechanical performance despite their low density.
Researchers at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium and Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) led the study.
Credits: ESA/ULB/ Khalifa University
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/04/Graphene_and_lasers_for_space_propulsion
Our main YouTube channel: youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
![Sophie sending her warmest thoughts from orbit 🫶 [French with English subtitles]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YE7WFQFHpZ4/mqdefault.jpg "Sophie sending her warmest thoughts from orbit 🫶 [French with English subtitles]
This video was published on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot with the following caption:
[EN] Day 175 orbit 2712 — Sending my warmest thoughts from orbit 🫶
[FR] Jour 175, orbite 2712 — Je pense très fort a vous depuis l’espace 🫶
Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)
Footage: ESA/NASA
Our main YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
We are Europes gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europes space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions")
