Recovery teams in Kamchatka hope to find the capsule on the same day it lands. The Planetary Society. First phase mission profile. Second phase mission profile. The Planetary Society.
Sunlight bounces off the mirror-like sail, imparting momentum to the vehicle.
The force is imparted in a direction controlled by the angle of the sail with respect to the sunlight, which can either increase or decrease the velocity of the spacecraft depending on the direction of the force. Louis Friedman, redrawn by B. S. Smith. The Planetary Society, 2000-2001.