fivemack: (Default)
Tom Womack ([personal profile] fivemack) wrote2008-05-30 03:41 pm

Recent terminology change

When did they start calling deployed photoelectric power sources on spacecraft 'solar wings' rather than 'solar panels'?

I suppose they are very occasionally actually used as wings, but the only example I can think of it aerobraking into orbit around Mars.

[identity profile] del-c.livejournal.com 2008-05-30 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
If you're going to go for biology metaphors, "solar leaves" would seem more appropriate.