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Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!amd!dual!ames!al
From: al@ames.UUCP (Al Globus)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Tales from the Orbital Crypt
Message-ID: <811@ames.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 21-Feb-85 15:23:26 EST
Article-I.D.: ames.811
Posted: Thu Feb 21 15:23:26 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Feb-85 14:32:44 EST
References: <464@mordor.UUCP>
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 15

> From: Tom Wadlow <TAW@S1-A.ARPA>
> 
> I read in one of the local papers that the SSI plan for space burial
> involved reducing the corpses to a very small size (roughly test-tube
> sized containers of ashes, I think) for placement in the orbital crypt.
> 
> I wonder how much of a light sail it would take to reach system escape
> velocity for such a payload, given:
> 
> 	- You don't care how long it takes.  (After all, you're dead)
> 	- All systems are likely to be entirely passive.  Ideally,

While in Earth orbit a light sail must do a lot of manuvering to keep
accelating.  This is obvious if you consider the geometric relationship
of the Sun to anything in a planetary orbit as time passes.