Stunning new images snapped in orbit show LightSail 2's solar sail outstretched and ready to take on the next phase of its mission.

The Planetary Society announced that the 18-foot-wide Mylar sail had successfully deployed earlier this week, following a late-June launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

It's just one five-thousandth of an inch thick, or about the width of a human hair.

The milestone could pave the way for lower-cost spacecraft propulsion, allowing small craft to be driven by sunlight.

The Planetary Society's crowdfunded craft consists of a CubeSat roughly the size of a loaf of bread, and a now-unfurled solar sail that stretches more than 18 feet wide.

Scientists revealed the mission's progress minute-by-minute in a live-streamed event on Tuesday afternoon.

'Sail deployment complete! We're sailing on sunlight!' the Planetary Society tweeted after confirming the feat.

Images released later in the week confirmed the sail was unfurled and doing well.