Trekipedia

Bajoran Solar Sail Vessel

Spacecraft used by ancient Bajorans, propelled by light pressure from Bajor’s sun. Solar sail vessels, also known as lightships, had no impulse reaction or warp propulsion system, but rather had enormous reflective sails that caught the tenuous solar wind. Crew accommodations were minimal in order to conserve mass. Such ships were used eight centuries ago to explore the Bajor system. Some ancient solar sailors even reached Cardassia. Until recently, Cardassian scholars scoffed at the suggestion that Bajorans crossed interstellar space at such an early point in history, but such a transit was demonstrated in 2371 by Benjamin Sisko, who built a lightship from ancient plans. Sisko’s craft was caught by tachyon eddies in the Denorios Belt, sweeping it at faster-than-light speeds to Cardassia. Shortly after Sisko’s arrival, Cardassian archaeologists reported they had also found ancient wreckage of such a ship on Cardassia.^[1] Bajoran poet Akorem Laan piloted a traditional solar sail vessel in 2172. That particular craft was already 100 years old at the time of his flight.^[2]