Solar Sails, Lasers and NASA.

[rakkabal]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>These energy beams could be directed at the sail to launch it into space and provide a secondary power source during its journey. In one experiment at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), sails were driven to liftoff using microwave beams, while laser beams were used to push the sail forward.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />The above is from www.howstuffworks.com other than that I have had no luck finding more data on these tests, just wondering if anyone knows where I can get the info. Things like laser specs, how the tests were conducted, what material the sails were made of etc etc.

 

[doubletruncation]

This PDF should have the technical details you're looking for.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[harmonicaman]

SDC article.<br /><br />Artist's concept of a laser spacecraft launch. <br /><br />More on the Lightcraft project.<br /><br />"How Stuff Works" page.<br /><br />I'm thinking that this whole project may have become "Classified" because it is becoming difficult to access any recent experimental data... <img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

 

[rakkabal]

LightCraft are based on combustion so that was a little of from what I was thinking. While that PDF only really talked about what NASA's plans are and the successful unfolding of a sail and gave no technical specs.<br /><br />I may agree about it becoming "Classified" as I have spent almost 2 days looking for the data with no results.