threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.worksM to Spaceflight@sh.itjust.worksEnglish · 2 months agoNASA's solar sail successfully spreads its wings in spacewww.space.comexternal-linkmessage-square3fedilinkarrow-up147cross-posted to: technology@lemmy.worldscience@lemmy.worldworldinprogress@lemmy.worldastronomy@mander.xyz
arrow-up147external-linkNASA's solar sail successfully spreads its wings in spacewww.space.comthreelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.worksM to Spaceflight@sh.itjust.worksEnglish · 2 months agomessage-square3fedilinkcross-posted to: technology@lemmy.worldscience@lemmy.worldworldinprogress@lemmy.worldastronomy@mander.xyz
minus-squarethreelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.worksOPMlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up5·2 months ago@Rangelus@lemmy.nz You were curious about this.
minus-squareRangelus@lemmy.nzlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2·edit-22 months agoCheers mate. Neat stuff! I wonder how much force a sail of that size is expected to produce?
minus-squarenikaaa@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2·edit-22 months agoI just did some quick maths (and assuming my formulas are correct), beaming at it with a 10 MW laser would cause it to speed up by 0.001 m/s² assuming the sail has 20 kg mass. So not very much, but also not nothing.
@Rangelus@lemmy.nz You were curious about this.
Cheers mate. Neat stuff!
I wonder how much force a sail of that size is expected to produce?
I just did some quick maths (and assuming my formulas are correct), beaming at it with a 10 MW laser would cause it to speed up by 0.001 m/s² assuming the sail has 20 kg mass. So not very much, but also not nothing.