How can we send spacecraft to other star systems? One proposed by Breakthrough Foundation is the Starshot, which uses high-powered lasers to accelerate tiny spacecraft to 10% the speed of light. What keeps the sail balanced as the laser strikes it and accelerates it? A new paper suggests that the laser can be tuned so that the forces are balanced on the sail, automatically correcting if any dangerous oscillations build-up that could destroy the sail. The post How Could Laser-Driven Lightsails Re...
How can we send spacecraft to other star systems? One proposed by Breakthrough Foundation is the Starshot, which uses high-powered lasers to accelerate tiny spacecraft to 10% the speed of light. What keeps the sail balanced as the laser strikes it and accelerates it? A new paper suggests that the laser can be tuned so that the forces are balanced on the sail, automatically correcting if any dangerous oscillations build-up that could destroy the sail. The post How Could Laser-Driven Lightsails Re...
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