Deep Space Flight and Communications: Exploiting the Sun as a Gravitational Lens (Springer Praxis Books / Astronautical Engineering) {Repost}
C. Maccone | Springer | Pages: 416 | 2009-04-21 | ISBN : 3540729429 | PDF | 3.6 MB
The majority of books dealing with prospects for interstellar flight tackle the problem of the propulsion systems that will be needed to send a craft on an interstellar trajectory. The proposed book looks at two other, equally important aspects of such space missions, and each forms half of this two part book.
Part 1 looks at the ways in which it is possible to exploit the focusing effect of the Sun as a gravitational lens for scientific missions to distances of 550 AU and beyond into interstellar space. The author explains the mechanism of the Sun as a gravitational lens, the scientific investigations which may be carried out along the way to a distance of 550 AU (and at the 550 AU sphere itself), the requirements for exiting the Solar System at the highest speed and a range of project ideas for missions entering interstellar space.