Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ames.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!intelca!qantel!dual!ames!al From: al@ames.UUCP (Al Globus) Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Re: Light Sail Deployment Message-ID: <823@ames.UUCP> Date: Thu, 28-Feb-85 13:48:36 EST Article-I.D.: ames.823 Posted: Thu Feb 28 13:48:36 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 4-Mar-85 08:16:42 EST References: <61@pbear.UUCP> Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA Lines: 23 > Steering the sail would be difficult, and I don't have > the answers to that one. I would wish someone would pick up the > idea and bounce it around. > > Peter Barada > ima!pbear!peterb With all this talk about solar sails on the net I thought you might like to know that the World Space Foundation is actually building one and expects to fly it. The have built two prototypes, one full size, and have had an upper stage donated to them. They still need a launch - either shuttle or Ariane - and I don't think they've started on the flight article. They main players are experienced people from JPL, they know what they're doing. I don't know how far they've got on control, but the last I saw there were two small rotatable sails on the end on one of the booms for pitch and roll control. There is also a movable mass near the center of the sail for yaw. If anyone has the address available, why don't you post it? Most of their labor is volunteer. If you want to help, contact Robert Staehle (sp?) at JPL in Pasadena, CA.