Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!REM@MIT-MC From: REM%MIT-MC@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Space yachting Message-ID: <2318@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Sat, 18-Jun-83 13:46:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.2318 Posted: Sat Jun 18 13:46:00 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Jun-83 11:17:32 EDT Lines: 14 From: Robert Elton MaasHmmm, I like the idea. I doubt anyone will actually succeed at getting to the moon the first time, probably each craft will break down before arriving there (I may be pleasantly surprized), so we can give prizes based on how far each craft gets before breaking down, or award prizes based on a partial ordering of how far and how fast. If sails unfurl to a mile across, and they reflect light in random directions (white sails, not silver-reflecting sails), I would think they'd be visible from Earth for a while after launch (let's see, 1 mile across at 1000 miles distance, that's about 3.5 minutes of arc, so it'd not be easily resolvable to the nakid eye but binoculers ought to suffice for seeing more than points of light.