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Reged: Feb 16 2004
Posts: 1056
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This thread is for comments about Orbital Oddballs: Unusual Ideas For Future Space Travel, by Paul Lucas.
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Anonymous
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Thanks for the great article, Lucas! I wonder, though... if using lasers to propel satellites is such a good, cheap idea that more satellites get into orbit, wouldn't that increase the chances of "blinding" a satellite?
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Paul Lucas
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Actually, it probably would at that. One way one might get around this problem is to use an array of many lasers spread out over an area rather than one large dedicated laser for the initial boost. Think of a large ring of lasers arrayed in a circle about a kilometer or so in diameter. They would be aimed so their beams would all cross at a certain focal point at any one time--ie, the focusing ring of the lightcraft. They would track the lightcraft going up, moving their focal pointalong with the lightcraft. However, each laser individually is too weak to damage satelite sensors, and since they're all aimed in slightly different directions, and beam that"leaked" wouldn't necessarily harm anything.
Just an idea, tho. There are other solutions. For instance, specifying a certain frequency of laser that can be used, and calibrating satellite sensors to be blind to this light frequency.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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How hard is it to keep _one_ laser focused on a lightcraft as it wobbles through the earth's atmosphere? The lightcraft's a neat tool, but I imagine it's best uses will be found in a vacuum, sending objects away from technology and not into it.
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