  Radiometer is a light-induced aerodynamic propulsive device under the
rarefied gas environment, which holds great potential for the next-gen
near-space flight. However, its practical applications are hindered by the weak
propulsion forces on the conventional radiometer vanes. Herein, this
material-aerodynamics cross-disciplinary study develops novel radiometer vanes
with graphene aerogel coatings, which for the first time realize an order of
magnitude enhancement in radiometric propulsion. The improvement is manifested
as up to 29.7 times faster rotation speed at a low pressure of 0.2 Pa, 13.8
times faster at the pressure (1.5 Pa) with maximum speeds, and 4 orders of
magnitude broader operating pressure range (10E-4 - 10E2 Pa). Direct Simulation
Monte Carlo calculations reveal that the outstanding performance is ascribed to
the improved temperature gradient and gas-solid momentum transfer efficiency
tailored by surface porous microstructures. Moreover, we demonstrate a stable
and long-term levitation prototype under both 1 sun irradiation and a rarefied
gas environment.
