用太阳帆测量星际介质

NASA 一直在考虑一种太阳帆将加速一个 craft 到约 14 AU/yr 的高速度 by the time it reached 5 AU。 Then the sail would be dropped and the craft would coast alone to deep space。我们提议 retain the sail 更久。 Then the density of the interplanetary medium could be determined by measuring the drag force on the huge sail using radiometric navigational data。这种实验将 yield 一个 independent, new type of measurement of the interplanetary medium and should be pursued。