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| Date |
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4.2.2002 |
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| Submitted by |
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Richard Savage |
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| Title |
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Solar Sails and Laser Propulsion |
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| Source |
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Clarke, Arthur C. ‘The Wind from the Sun’ |
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| Context |
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solar sails use solar wind/radiation as a source of thrust, which could also be a powerful laser |
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| Description |
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Using a laser would reduce fuel loads for space vehicles which can carry greatly. A space based laser is also significantly more mobile than a star. |
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| Comments |
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A reflective light sail provides the maximum possible thrust from any incident light. If the sail is capable of absorbing and usefully using the light however, whilst the thrust is halved, the light sail can now provide a source of power for the ship it is mounted on. In the case of using a laser to propel the light sail, this amounts to a combination of light sail propulsion and power transmission to the sail. |
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| Feasibility |
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Not able to Judge |
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| Keywords |
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space engineering , laser , laser powered light sail , power transmission |
