Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site npois.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!ahuta!npois!jay From: jay@npois.UUCP (Anton Winteroak) Newsgroups: net.space Subject: sail with holes Message-ID: <221@npois.UUCP> Date: Tue, 5-Mar-85 09:44:41 EST Article-I.D.: npois.221 Posted: Tue Mar 5 09:44:41 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Mar-85 06:56:54 EST Organization: ATTIS, Neptune, NJ Lines: 11 The largest atoms are about 0.3 nanometers in diameter, hydrogen (by far the most common) is about 0.1 nm. About the shortest wavelength of light that comes out of the sun in quantity is about 90 nanometers. Besides anything much higher energy than that would go through a micron of aluminum nearly untouched. Visable light is more like 300 to 700 nanometers. Clearly holes under a quarter wave length could work to reduce weight and drag, while not altering reflectiveness much. I have trouble imagining the process by which this stuff is made. How could a few square miles of this stuff be cheap ?