A low-cost way of sending spacecraft to other planets would be to use the radiation-pressure on a solar sail. The intensity of the sun's electromagnetic radiation at distances near the earth's orbit is about 1,320 W/m². What size sail (in km²) would be needed to accelerate a 6,906 kg space craft toward Mars at 0.024 m/s²? Assume that the solar sail is perfectly reflecting. (Use c = 2.9979 × 108 m/s) km²
A low-cost way of sending spacecraft to other planets would be to use the radiation-pressure on a solar sail. The intensity of the sun's electromagnetic radiation at distances near the earth's orbit is about 1,320 W/m². What size sail (in km²) would be needed to accelerate a 6,906 kg space craft toward Mars at 0.024 m/s²? Assume that the solar sail is perfectly reflecting. (Use c = 2.9979 × 108 m/s) km²
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