MOSCOW, June 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Solar Sail spacecraft designed at the Lavochkin Science and Production Association and sponsored by Cosmos Studios of the United States, is scheduled for lift off June 21, Trud, a daily, reported.

The Sail, the first space yacht in history, will be launched 840-km into orbit by Russia's Volna (Wave) three-stage launch vehicle, a converted SS-N-18 Stingray ballistic missile. The rocket will be launched from a Kalmar (Delta-3)-class SSBN (Strategic Submarine Ballistic Nuclear) in the Barents Sea.

This advanced spacecraft weighs just 110 kg. Its folded solar sail consists of eight triangular "petals", which will unfurl, forming a 30-meter circle with an area of 600 sq. meters.

Metallized and super-thin (about five microns) polymer film was used to make The Solar Sail. Each petal will rotate along its axis, thereby absorbing solar energy. Pressure from solar rays will ensure sustained movement. This unique propulsion unit can reach tremendous speeds of tens of thousands of kilometers per hour. Solar-sail spacecraft do not require any fuel on 5 to 20-year flights.

"These spacecraft will eventually be used for long-range space flights and in near-earth space, serving as weather satellites and remote-sensing satellites," Russian project manager Viktor Kudryashov said.

Tracking stations in Russia, the United States and the Czech Republic will keep an eye on the first solar-powered space yacht. Nighttime visibility will be perfect, U.S. experts say.