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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: New Scientist: Solar super-sail could reach Mars in a month. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.

New Scientist: Solar super-sail could reach Mars in a month by logickal at 12:48 pm EST, Feb 1, 2005
] The pair were testing a very thin carbon-mesh sail by ] firing microwaves at it. To their surprise, the sail ] experienced a force several times stronger than they ] expected. They eventually worked out that the heat from ] the microwave beam was causing carbon monoxide gas to ] escape from the sail's surface, and that the recoil from ] the emerging gas molecules was giving the sail an extra ] push.
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New Scientist: Solar super-sail could reach Mars in a month
by k at 2:15 pm EST, Feb 1, 2005

] The pair were testing a very thin carbon-mesh sail by
] firing microwaves at it. To their surprise, the sail
] experienced a force several times stronger than they
] expected. They eventually worked out that the heat from
] the microwave beam was causing carbon monoxide gas to
] escape from the sail's surface, and that the recoil from
] the emerging gas molecules was giving the sail an extra
] push.

[ Very cool. 60 MW is a lot of microwaves, but it's a neat concept.

Incidentally, one of the brothers is Gregory Benford, who's written a number of well known SciFi novels. -k]