[SpaceProgram] Lagrange Solar Sail Challenge

[Lee von Kraus]

The main problem with dropping from a balloon or kite would be having to
drop the capsule over an ocean or desert. Maybe instead we could buy a
drone/RC plane and have it do parabolas just like the big nasa 747 does. Or
if we do go the balloon/kite route maybe have a big spool of monofilament
tethering the falling capsule to the balloon/kite, so that when it falls
x-distance its fall is stopped. It could then either be spooled by up by a
motor on the balloon/kite for another drop, or it could cut itself loose
and deploy a parachute. Something like a Helikite (http://www.helikites.com/)
could be perfect, allowing a decent sized payload to be raised up very high
and dropped multiple times.


On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 1:11 AM, Lee von Kraus <leevonk at gmail.com> wrote:

> How about making and demonstrating a miniature microgravity 'generator' to
> allow DIY testing of things in microgravity on earth. It would be pretty
> easy and cheap and would open space research to the masses by allowing
> short duration generation of microgravity conditions. It could be a
> weather-balloon-dropped capsule or something with cameras build into the
> inside to allow observation of whatever short duration experiment one is
> interested in. This is a relatively quick and easy project that would help
> attract attention and funding, while also facilitating hackerspaces in
> doing their own future experiments.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 2, 2012 at 11:41 PM, Jerry Isdale <jerry at mauimakers.com>wrote:
>
>> Apparently Arthur C Clarke did a story on Solar Sail racing (Sunjammer,
>> aka The Wind from the Sun, ~1963)
>>   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunjammer
>>
>> A graphic novel/short of it is at
>>    http://240plan.ovh.net/~upngmmxw/imag/bd/bd_a.htm
>>
>>  Jerry Isdale
>> http://MauiMakers.com
>> http://www.mauimakers.com/blog/thursday-public-meeting/
>>
>> On Oct 1, 2012, at 2:51 PM, Matt Johnson wrote:
>>
>> I think that is an outstanding idea. It is rather ambitious, has
>> anyone even been able to steer a solar sail yet?
>>
>> I agree with Alex a spacers cup might attract some real money.
>>
>> --
>> Matt Johnson
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Sep 30, 2012 at 9:42 PM, Jerry Isdale <isdale at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> What do you think of a challenge to sail a solar sail around 3 earth
>>
>> Lagrange points?
>>
>> Would it be possible to control a sail to navigate around three such
>> points?
>>
>> Maybe have a Spacers Cup, akin to America's Cup sail race.
>>
>>
>> Jerry Isdale
>>
>> isdale at gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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