Talk:Starwisp

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Surely you'd want to turn the maser on again when the probe is about 80% of the way to the star, so that the maser 'light' and the probe reach the star at the same time?

Csmiller 18:19, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Sounds right. The article currently only mentions turning the beam on again when the Starwisp "approaches" the target star, which isn't exactly in contradiction with this, but this will be a good detail to mention explicitly. :) Bryan 23:53, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Links to Other Wikipedia Articles

It is possibly best to link the article to beam-powered propulsion and to mention that higher velocities MIGHT be obtainable by hybridising the given propulsion concept with other types of propulsion.

I'm also inclined towards thinking that the technical problems section is a bit to pessimistic as to what is physically possible with starwisp, but if this section were referenced better, I would be more prepared to accept it's validity (interstellar Hydrogen becoming a radiation hazard and 'turning radioactive' sounds a little to far fetched to me, perhaps whoever stated this was referring to the velocity difference between starwisp and interstellar Hydrogen?). The issue concerning starwisps reflector bending and causing it to 'break'/'bent', etc... can be remedied via the use of adjusting reflectors (which change direction, and probably shape too).

The use of mathematics to describe how radiation pressure provides starwisp with its acceleration would probably repeat radiation pressure, but would be an interesting thing to do.

FINALLY, there is NO mention of nanotechnology - which is a shame, as this can improve the "size economics" of star wisp so that most of the mass of the probe would be the reflector.

ConcernedScientist 19:05, 27 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] StarWISP Internet

I deleted the addition "StarWISP is a Texas company founded by Tommy Johnson in 2002 to provide wireless Internet service near Houston." This is probably true, but my quick search shows that their domain www.starwisp.net is parked, and www.starwisp.info redirects to a different wireless internet provider with no mention of StarWISP. So StarWISP, the Texas wireless internet provider, seems too minor to be worth discussion in an encyclopedia.