Light‑Driven Propulsion of Graphene Aerogels in Microgravity

ABSTRACT Ultralight graphene aerogels can convert light into mechanical work, yet their performance under reduced gravity remains largely unquantified. We investigated light‐driven motion of macroscopic porous graphene networks during the 86th parabolic flight campaign of ESA, directly comparing their response in microgravity and at 1 g. In microgravity, optical excitation produced rapid translation: aerogels with a density of 0.01 g cm ^{− 3} traversed 50 mm within 0.05 s and reached peak velocities of 1.7 m s ^{− 1} , with peak accelerations ≳10 ² m s ^{− 2} and an initial thrust pulse of 0.6 mN occurring within 0.03 s. Under 1 g, motion was strongly suppressed: displacement peaked near ≈15 mm by ≈0.16 s, with a modest velocity maximum ≈0.06 m s ^{− 1} and a delayed thrust peak ≈11 µN at ≈0.08 s. Removing weight and normal‐force friction, therefore, markedly amplifies optically induced forces in these ultralow‐density networks. By directly quantifying distance, velocity, and transient thrust across gravitational regimes, our study establishes performance benchmarks for light‐driven propulsion using graphene aerogels in microgravity environments.