Solar sail to lift off this month

MOSCOW, June 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Solar Sail spacecraft designed at the Lavochkin Science and Production Association and sponsored by Cosmos Studios of the United States, is scheduled for lift off June 21, Trud, a daily, reported.

The Sail, the first space yacht in history, will be launched 840-km into orbit by Russia's Volna (Wave) three-stage launch vehicle, a converted SS-N-18 Stingray ballistic missile. The rocket will be launched from a Kalmar (Delta-3)-class SSBN (Strategic Submarine Ballistic Nuclear) in the Barents Sea.

This advanced spacecraft weighs just 110 kg. Its folded solar sail consists of eight triangular "petals", which will unfurl, forming a 30-meter circle with an area of 600 sq. meters.

Metallized and super-thin (about five microns) polymer film was used to make The Solar Sail. Each petal will rotate along its axis, thereby absorbing solar energy. Pressure from solar rays will ensure sustained movement. This unique propulsion unit can reach tremendous speeds of tens of thousands of kilometers per hour. Solar-sail spacecraft do not require any fuel on 5 to 20-year flights.

"These spacecraft will eventually be used for long-range space flights and in near-earth space, serving as weather satellites and remote-sensing satellites," Russian project manager Viktor Kudryashov said.

Tracking stations in Russia, the United States and the Czech Republic will keep an eye on the first solar-powered space yacht. Nighttime visibility will be perfect, U.S. experts say.

To: RightWhale; Brett66; xrp; gdc314; anymouse; RadioAstronomer; NonZeroSum; jimkress; discostu; ...

2 posted on 06/16/2005 5:48:43 PM PDT by KevinDavis (the space/future belongs to the eagles, the earth/past to the groundhogs)

This unique propulsion unit can reach tremendous speeds of tens of thousands of kilometers per hour.

Whoa! fives of thousands of miles per hour!
In how long do you think?
A year? Three? Five? Ten? Twenty?

3 posted on 06/16/2005 6:34:48 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)

Actually, if this tests out a reasonably sized operational unit could be launched that would accelerate at about 1G indefinitely. That's the speed of something falling in a near vacuum and over huge distances that can be very very fast

4 posted on 06/16/2005 6:43:21 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopeckne is walking around free)

tet68 wrote:
This unique propulsion unit can reach tremendous speeds of tens of thousands of kilometers per hour.

Whoa! fives of thousands of miles per hour!
In how long do you think?
A year? Three? Five? Ten? Twenty

--How long will it take to get to Mars and back on this thing?

5 posted on 06/16/2005 6:44:02 PM PDT by 1FASTGLOCK45 (FreeRepublic: More fun than watching Dem'Rats drown like Turkeys in the rain! ! !)

Yes, I do understand, but unless we are talking some sort of galactic diaspora it doesn't seem too feasible, it would
take as much time to stop as it would to accelerate I'm in a hurry.

6 posted on 06/16/2005 6:46:19 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)

Well it would take less than 5 years for a solar sail rig to hit Pluto. I'm sure that's an ideal calculation.

For all that's interested here's a good site: plantary.org

Comes complete with faq for all your question answering needs, and for the amateur star gazers out there if you dig through the links you should find how to check this thing out.

Baby steps and positive thoughts ;)

7 posted on 06/16/2005 7:13:21 PM PDT by tfecw (Vote Democrat, It's easier than working)

I do too. Sounds fascinating.

8 posted on 06/16/2005 7:17:26 PM PDT by Lion in Winter (Getting old is NOT for sissies.... trust me, I know!)

will be launched 840-km into orbit

What will a solar sail do on an object that is in orbit around the earth? Will the orbit become elliptical as the object is alternately accelerated and decelerated? Isn't 840 km considered a low orbit?

9 posted on 06/16/2005 7:39:09 PM PDT by SC Swamp Fox (Aim small, miss small.)

How long will it take to get to Mars and back on this thing?

Infinity?

Any FReeper sailors?

Lacking a keel and rudder in the water, I don't think they will be able to sail into the wind to get back home like a sailing vessel here on Earth.

But if you took advantage of gravity around the outer planets, you probably could make a return trip faster that the outward bound trip.

In other words, keep the sail out till gravity of say saturn grabs you, then furl the sail, loop around Saturn (gaining even more speed), use the sail to adjust the direction, and return to Earth.

11 posted on 06/16/2005 8:40:26 PM PDT by Lokibob (All typos and spelling errors are mine and copyrighted!!!!)

But for a fly-by of the outer planets or even a mission to the Oort cloud, it could be an excellent way to get there

12 posted on 06/17/2005 2:39:03 AM PDT by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopeckne is walking around free)

I think so. I'm going to have to learn Rocket Science..

13 posted on 06/17/2005 5:39:35 AM PDT by KevinDavis (the space/future belongs to the eagles, the earth/past to the groundhogs)

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