Early Interstellar Precursor Solar Sail Probes

G. L. Matloff. (1991), JBIS, 44, pp.367-370

Refcode: 1991.44.367

Abstract:

Small payloads can be launched on extra-solar trajectories with the aid of current-technology solar sails. The interstellar cruise velocities of these probes will be greater than those of Pioneer 10/11 and Voyager 1/2 [I]. Present-day sails seem to be capable of approaching, but not duplicating, the performance of the proposed nuclear-electric propelled Thousand Astronomical Unit (TAU) probe [2], which could travel 1000 Astronomical Units (AU) in 50 years (about 95 km/sec).