Japan to Launch World's First Solar-Powered Spaceship, Ikaros, on May 18

Japan will launch the world's first solar-powered spaceship on May 18, 2010. The spacecraft, dubbed Ikaros, will be the first in history to enter deep space using only solar energy. The ship is equipped with 15-meter long ultra thin wings that are covered with special cells which will generate energy from the sun. If successful, the Ikaros, which stands for "Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun," will be the first spacecraft to use solar sails in space as a primary propulsion mechanism.

A ground control station on Earth will navigate the panels of the Japanese invention in the direction of the sun rays. The spacecraft will launch Japan's first satellite to Venus.

Ikaros is also a reference to the Greek myth of Icarus – a young man and his father Daedalus, who attempted to escape exile in Crete by building wings of feathers and wax.

Prius Sales Surge in Japan: 392% More than a Year Ago in July

Unlike the literal implosion of the US auto markets, according to the Japan Automotive Dealers Association, Toyota’s Prius was the top-seller in Japan in July, with 27,712 units sold—almost quadruple the 7,058 units sold in July 2008.

This marks the third month in a row that Prius was the top-selling car in Japan. According to media reports, for the first seven months of the year, Prius sales in Japan total 79,122 units. The Honda Fit is still the volume leader from January-July, with 82,592 units total. The Fit came in a distant second to the Prius in July, with 17,003 units sold, followed by the Toyota Vitz (12,366 units) and the Honda Insight (10,210 units).