Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10680949 | Acta Astronautica | 2005 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Beamed power can enhance solar sail mission possibilities. Beam heating of a sail until its surface coat sublimes or desorps can add far more thrust, roughly a factor of 1000. Beamed power from Earth can heat sails to temperatures >1000K, both to drive them to high velocities and to simulate similar conditions for very near-Sun missions. We give theory and a microwave experiment displaying the phenomena. This capability could open many kinds of fast-start interplanetary solar sailing missions. The basic physics can apply to sails heated by lasers or microwaves, and to a wide variety of materials for laboratory studies.
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Authors
Gregory Benford, James Benford,