ESC281 2/22/2019
Problem 2 LightSail spacecraft and radiation pressure
NASA produced a spacecraft to be propelled through space based
on radiation pressure.
Its area was 32 square meters and weighed 5kg.
Solar disc normal
$R_{sun}$
$\hat{u}$
Earth-moon distance = 3.84e8 m
(384 million meters, on average)
r
Sun
Sail
a) If the solar irradiance is 1370W/(m x m) what is the
radiation pressure?
(assume average photon energy of 2eV/photon and
complete adsoption on side facing sun)
b) What is the acceleration due to the radiation?
c) Assuming no friction in space, could the spacecraft
reach the moon in 1 year?
$\hat{n}$
Solar sail normal