[SpaceProgram] Lagrange Solar Sail Challenge

Wed Oct 3 16:42:58 CEST 2012

Here are some useful excerpts:
"
The 10 cubic metre Skyhook Helikite is able to fly to thousands of feet in
winds up to 50 mph lifting a payload of 5kg.

Helikites are designed for foul weather deployment and foul weather flight.
Even the largest Skyhook Helikites can be launched and retrieved in all the
winds that they can fly in. So deployment and flight can occur safely in
winds up to 50 or 60 mph.

The new Cased Helikite Aerostat Maintainable Platform (CHAMP) (see products
section) allows the deployment of a 10 cubic metre Skyhook Helikite within
30 minutes. The unique part of the CHAMP is that it also includes an
excellent Helibase with top cover thus also creating a permanent, safe base
for the Helikite - not just a minimal launch platform.

Helikites can even be launched and recovered remotely - with no people
present at all. They are simply winched off or onto the Helibase.
"

On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 10:37 AM, Lee von Kraus <leevonk at gmail.com> wrote:

> here is a link better describing the advantages of helikites:
>
> http://www.allsopp.co.uk/index.php?mod=page&id_pag=24
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 10:26 AM, Lee von Kraus <leevonk at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Alex, no offense taken, but you somehow managed to restate as your own
>> almost every part of the idea that I posted in the original email,...
>>
>> As for what to use as an aerostat, I provided a link in the first email
>> that describes a kite/balloon hybrid ('helikite') that would probably work
>> really well. The balloon part allows it to stay up in zero wind and the
>> kite part adds stability and lift in high wind conditions.
>>
>> Matt, that's a really good idea. The climbing mechanism could be useful
>> but also, as in the space elevators, the power supply for the helikite's
>> winch mechanism could be delivered via laser from the ground. That way the
>> helikite wouldn't have to hold up the weight of power supply cables too.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 6:59 AM, Matt Johnson <railmeat at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> It sounds like you should talk to the space elevator folks about
>>> climbing tether quickly.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Matt Johnson
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Oct 2, 2012 at 10:37 PM, Alex Cureton-Griffiths
>>> <alexcg at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > Maybe have a line tethered to a weather balloon and have payloads
>>> somehow
>>> > get 'carried' up the line like a cable car. That way can do tests much
>>> more
>>> > quickly since don't have to send balloon up and down all the time.
>>> >
>>> > Having said that, I have no idea how you could pull that off myself :)
>>> Could
>>> > also use a kite instead of a weather balloon, though not sure if could
>>> get
>>> > to the right altitude
>>> >
>>> > On 3 Oct, 2012, at 1:11 PM, Lee von Kraus 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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>>> >>
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>
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