NASA is doing research on the concept of solar sailing. A solar sailing craft uses a large, low-mass sail and the energy and momentum of sunlight for propulsion. A) Should the sail be absorptive or reflective? Why?
B)The total power output of the sun is 3.90 × 1026 W . How large a sail is necessary to propel a 1.06 × 104 kg spacecraft against the gravitational force of the sun?

A = 6.8 km²

Explanation:

A) The sail should be reflective. This is so that, it can produce the maximum radiation pressure.

B) let's begin with the formula used to calculate the average solar sail in orbit around the sun. Thus;

F_rad = 2IA/c

I is given by the formula;

I = P/(4πr²)

Thus;

F_rad = (2A/c) × (P/(4πr²)) = PA/2cπr²

Where;

A is the area of the sail

r is the distance of the sail from the sun

c is the speed of light = 3 × 10^(8) m/s

P is total power output of the sun = 3.90 × 10^(26) W

Now,F_rad = F_g

Where F_g is gravitational force.

Thus;

PA/2cπr² = G•m•M_sun/r²

r² will cancel out to givw;

PA/2cπ = G•m•M_sun

Making A the subject, we have;

A = (2•c•π•G•m•M_sun)/P

Now, m = 1.06 × 10⁴ kg and M_sun has a standard value of 1.99 × 10^(30) kg

G is gravitational constant and has a value of 6.67 × 10^(-11) Nm²/kg²

Thus;

A = (2 × 3 × 10^(8) × π × 6.67 × 10^(-11) × 1.06 × 10^(4) × 1.99 × 10^(30))/(3.90 × 10^(26))

A = 6.8 × 10^(6) m² = 6.8 km²

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