Overview

An introductory text and technical reference on solar sailing. The author assesses the benefits and limitations of solar sailing and comes to the conclusion that it really does offer the possibility of low-cost space missions, impossible for any other type of conventional spacecraft. The idea of solar sailing has been around for decades. In the 1920s, Soviet pioneers of astronautics suggested using vast sails to harness the pressure of sunlight to propel spacecraft to cosmic velocities. The solar wind is very tenuous, so practical solar sails would have to be vast structures of extraordinarily low mass and near-perfect reflectors. Finally, over 70 years on, solar sailing is being taken seriously as a means of spacecraft propulsion.

Full Product Details

Author:   Colin Robert McInnes
Publisher:   Springer London Ltd
Imprint:   Springer London Ltd
Edition:   Edition. ed.
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 2.20cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   0.820kg
ISBN:  

9781852331023

ISBN 10:   185233102
Pages:   296
Publication Date:   15 April 1999
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  General/trade ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Temporarily unavailable  
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