Could you use Solar wind to Push a Spacecraft like you would a Sailboat?
2006-10-21 12:40:56 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Solar winds are usually between 200 and 700 km/s... Yes of-course we could, but not many known agencies are willing to take the risk. Solar winds have been used for maneuverability in the past...
Check this link out.
2006-10-21 12:57:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"powerfull" needs some qualification.
"Could you use Solar wind to Push a Spacecraft like you would a Sailboat?"
Yes, just as many modern ships may use sails to augment their engines.
"The sail systems are meant as a retrofit technology that can work with any cargo ship as well as yachts of more than 79 feet. Ships can use their engines to begin and end voyages and use sail power in lieu of engines for the middle portion. Use both, and you go even faster."
2006-10-29 09:57:34 · answer #2 · answered by joe_tiac 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Near Earth, the velocity of the solar wind varies from 200 to 889 km/s. The average is 450 km/s."
Yes, you could use solar wind to propell a spacescraft using sails. "The science of solar sails is well-proven, but the technology to manage large solar sails is still undeveloped." Problems include how to un-fold or un-roll the sails once the spacecraft is launched, and how to steer once the sail is un-furled.
2006-10-21 13:04:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Almost. Voyager 1 is just on the barrier of interstellar space and should reach that historical place in a few months from now. This information I read around January this year, and I haven't heard anything since. I presume NASA will release a news story to mark the event.
2016-05-22 08:30:17 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
August - circa 1970 solar winds hit earth strong enough to disrupt rotation by minute amout
2006-10-27 05:50:04 · answer #5 · answered by orion_1812@yahoo.com 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes near to the sun from earth to Jupiter. you will find that the P will be reduced inversely as the square of the distance. As u get further out less power.
2006-10-21 12:58:42 · answer #6 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can. It's been done. You need an EXTREMELY large sail (many, many, many times the size of the ship) and you get very slow acceleration but it's constant and you can get a decent speed eventually
2006-10-21 12:59:31 · answer #7 · answered by Scott L 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋