Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]


Groups > sci.physics > #547138

Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light?

From jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com
Newsgroups sci.physics
Subject Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light?
Date 2016-01-22 05:46 +0000
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <7bs8nc-f8o.ln1@mail.specsol.com> (permalink)
References <GO-dnQAcDtfmxjzLnZ2dnUU7-VednZ2d@giganews.com> <lv58nc-c2m.ln1@mail.specsol.com> <dgdt3fFobdsU1@mid.individual.net>

Show all headers | View raw


Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
> On 22/01/2016 10:25 AM, jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com wrote:
>> Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Can you push a spacecraft with light?
>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIuvIDhcs8E
>>>
>>>
>>>> What if you could power a ship using sunlight instead of wind? Well
>>>> in space, you can! Solar sails or light sails are pushed with light
>>>> from the sun. Photons provide a kick when they reflect off the sail
>>>> pushing the sail like an air molecule in the wind pushes a sailboat.
>>>> Find out how a solar sail works and about the future of this
>>>> technology!
>>
>> Ancient news and childishly simplistic; real sails are airfoils.
>>
> Probably best not to use aerofoils in this application. They wouldn't 
> work at all well.

Hence my comment the original post is childishly simplistic.

> The best solar sail has a mirror surface and is completely flat. In 
> practice, some compromise on the flatness will almost certainly be made 
> for engineering reasons.

While the best of real sails are nowhere near flat.

> Sylvia.

-- 
Jim Pennino

Back to sci.physics | Previous | NextPrevious in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread


Thread

Can you push a spacecraft with light? Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> - 2016-01-21 16:28 -0600
  Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? "reber g=emc^2" <herbertglazier0@gmail.com> - 2016-01-21 14:40 -0800
    Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? benj <none@gmail.com> - 2016-01-21 20:45 -0500
    Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? "hanson" <hanson@quick.net> - 2016-01-21 21:35 -0800
  Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2016-01-21 23:25 +0000
    Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-22 16:30 +1100
      Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2016-01-22 05:46 +0000
      Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? benj <none@gmail.com> - 2016-01-22 07:05 -0500
        Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2016-01-22 23:28 +1100
    Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? Mahipal <mahipal7638@gmail.com> - 2016-01-22 14:25 -0800
    Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> - 2016-01-23 10:03 -0600
      Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2016-01-23 19:08 +0000
  Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? Peter Riedt <riedt1@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-01-21 20:15 -0800
    Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? benj <none@gmail.com> - 2016-01-22 07:02 -0500
    Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> - 2016-01-22 09:35 -0600
      Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? pnalsing@gmail.com - 2016-01-22 13:19 -0800
  Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? "reber g=emc^2" <herbertglazier0@gmail.com> - 2016-01-22 12:57 -0800
    Re: Can you push a spacecraft with light? "hanson" <hanson@quick.net> - 2016-01-22 14:45 -0800

csiph-web