wombat@uicsl.UUCP (04/11/84)
#N:uicsl:11100023:000:846 uicsl!wombat Apr 11 13:47:00 1984 The latest *Journal of Rocketry and Spacecraft* has an article by Robert L. (*Dragon's Egg*) Forward on interstellar laser-pushed sails. He gives details on an aluminum sail that would make it to Alpha Centauri in ~41 years. The laser would be focused through a Fresnel lens. The sail comes in two main parts: a smaller sail with the payload, surrounded by a sail with a larger surface area and a high reflectivity. At a given point, they separate, and the larger sail is accelerated away from the payload sail, plus, its high reflectivity focuses light back on the other side of the payload sail, thus slowing it (the p.s.) down for a leisurely glide into the Alpha Centauri system. He also writes about a three stage sail that would go to Epsilon Eridani and return, but I haven't read that far yet. Wombat ihnp4!uiucdcs!uicsl!wombat