Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

A spacecraft powered by solar energy will be launched into the Earth's orbit today as part of a flagship project by the Planetary Society.

Known as LightSail, the rocket will be propelled through space using so-called "flight from light", where protons from the sun's rays give the small craft the momentum to move forward.

Its light is absorbed by reflective sails that deploy after take-off. They are roughly the size of a boxing ring and the thickness of a bin bag. A mounted camera will capture the sail's deployment every seven seconds.