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From: al@aurora.UUCP (Al Globus)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.physics
Subject: Re: Re: ultralight probes
Message-ID: <357@aurora.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Jun-85 15:21:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: aurora.357
Posted: Thu Jun  6 15:21:24 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Jun-85 03:10:39 EDT
References: <5630@utzoo.UUCP> <9883@rochester.UUCP> <3169@dartvax.UUCP> <352@osu-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 19
Xref: watmath net.space:4126 net.physics:2580

> In article <3169@dartvax.UUCP> chuck@dartvax.UUCP (Chuck Simmons) writes:
> 
> >> ...has anyone considerred the possibility of building
> >> a lightsail out of photo-electric material?  
> 
> There will be a large energy loss due to the inefficiency of present
> photo-electric materials.  A recent break thru of 12% efficiency rings a
> bell, but I'm not certain.
> 
> >Would it be possible to design a "fabric" consisting of carbon or silicon 
> >atoms with various other kinds of atoms in between.  The result would be 
> >a molecule (in much the same way that a polymer is a molecule, except in 
> >two dimensions) a few atoms thick.  A well-designed fabric might contain
> >many itty-bitty holes, thus decreasing the density even further.
> >

I believe that Eric Drexler worked on very thin film solar sails while he
was (is?) at MIT.  I think he even fabricated some of the material, although
0g techniques would be required to make full sized sails.