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 Maas 

Hmmm, 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.