Timeline for Tacking a solar sail to increase duration of acceleration
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
9 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2019 at 19:24 | comment | added | SolarisRa | I imagine then, that at a certain distance dependant upon the size of the sail, more acceleration can be generated when moving linearly from the sun (with the sail perpendicular to the sun) than a spiraling orbit (with a canted sail) between the same intersecting points of the spiral and line. | |
| May 7, 2019 at 19:18 | vote | accept | SolarisRa | ||
| May 7, 2019 at 18:51 | comment | added | SolarisRa | So, in order to maintain a lower solar orbit, the spacecraft must not exceed the escape velocity for that orbital radius. Anything faster than the orbital escape velocity will fling the craft away from the sun unless acted upon by a stronger, opposing force. With the orbital escape velocity decreasing as distance from the sun increases, an opposing force will have to get exponentially stronger as the spacecraft accelerates so as to maintain a stable orbit. Since such a powerful opposing force would not exist, a stable orbit at increasing acceleration is impossible. Is this correct? | |
| May 7, 2019 at 6:46 | history | edited | Innovine | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 804 characters in body
|
| May 7, 2019 at 6:40 | history | edited | Innovine | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 804 characters in body
|
| May 7, 2019 at 6:26 | comment | added | Innovine | @solarisra it's possible to use the sail for angular deflection, and to approach the source of the wind by rotating the orbit periapsis. However, this also increases the apoapsis. It's not possible to get into a general lower orbit, this requires slowing down in the prograde direction. You should not accept the other answer, it is incorrect. | |
| May 6, 2019 at 22:06 | comment | added | SolarisRa | I appreciate your answer and correcting me on my misuse of the work 'tacking', I was meaning something along the lines of angular deflection. I changed the wording of my question to reflect this. Many thanks! | |
| May 5, 2019 at 2:10 | history | edited | uhoh | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 58 characters in body
|
| May 4, 2019 at 20:20 | history | answered | Innovine | CC BY-SA 4.0 |