Solar sails have been proposed as a method of moving spacecraft between stars. A

Question

Solar sails have been proposed as a method of moving spacecraft between stars. A very large, reflective "sail," made of some thin, light-weight material like mylar, is deployed in front of the space ship on tethers to catch sunlight. This turns the photon-pressure equation into Pc equals two times the intensity instead of just one times it because each bit of light exerts one push as it hits the sail and a second of equal magnitude as it bounces back. Pressure is force over area, of course, where the area is that of the sail. Find the maximum acceleration that can be exerted on a solar-sail spacecraft with a mass of 10000 kg if the area of the sail is 5000 m^2 and the intensity of the sunlight hitting it is 1200 W/m^2.

Explanation / Answer

A = 5000 m^2, I =1200 W/m^2 , c =3*10^8 m/s, m =10000 kg

For reflection radiation pressure P = 2I/c

Pressure = Force/area = ma/A

ma/A = 2I/c

10000*a/(5000) = (2*1200)/(3*10^8)

a =4*10^-6 m/s^2

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