Statistics – Applications
Scientific paper
Feb 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001aipc..552..402k&link_type=abstract
Space Technology and Applications International Forum - 2001. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 552, pp. 402-406 (2001).
Statistics
Applications
Spaceborne And Space Research Instruments, Apparatus, And Components, Radio, Microwave, Physical Properties
Scientific paper
Traditional beam-driven (laser, microwave, or particle beam) sail concepts for interstellar or interstellar precursor missions envision a single large sail pushed to its final velocity by a single beam source. This paper considers the possibility of using many macroscopic (microgram to gram) laser-sail-driven projectiles (microsails) to propel a larger mission vehicle via momentum transfer. Scaling relationships indicate that absolute performance, as measured by beam source parameters required to accelerate a fixed vehicle mass to a given velocity, can be improved by several orders of magnitude relative to a traditional sail. Also, beam pointing requirements are relaxed, and guidance and stability problems may be reduced. The concept is also applicable to high-velocity solar-sail missions, with possible substantial benefits to mission design. .
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