RE: RE: starship-design: Tugs

["L. Parker" <lparker@cacaphony.net>]

Kelly,


> That could be a very good idea!  But would that up the power or weight
> requirements of the sail system to much? 

Well, yes and no. The dielectrics had much lower reflectivity, on the 
order of 87 percent which means they were much less efficient to start 
with than what we had wanted. But dielectrics only use milliwatts to 
control the reflectivity, negligible amounts of power as far as we are 
concerened.

Lee