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Solar Sails
Name: Unknown
Status: Other
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Prior to 1993
Question:
In the future, how practical will solar sails for propelling
space vehicles throughout space?
Replies:
I am no expert in space propulsion, and the concept of catching
the "solar wind" to induce propulsion seems fascinating, but I do know that
because of the gravitational pull of the sun, all space vehicles must follow
orbital trajectories around the sun. It would take an infinite amount of
energy to travel in a "straight" line through space, as sci-fi shows like Star
Trek portray, which is impossible in the foreseeable future (though in the
24th century, who knows!). Today, we launch a space craft, which first orbits
the earth, then give it a "delta vee," a change in velocity, to a larger
orbit, and by increments, increase the size of the orbit until it enters an
orbit around the sun. By calculating everything right, this larger orbit will
take the craft to the moon or another planet, where it can enter into that
body's orbit, or use its gravitational field to "sling-shot" it into a still
greater orbit to reach a further destination, etc. So, space travel is all
orbital, at least for now.
RC Winther
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Update: June 2012
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