From: henry@spsystems.net   
      
   In article <1108143123.041040.288750@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,   
     wrote:   
   >> the problem is not the solar cells but the structural dynamics of   
   >> enormous lightweight solar arrays...   
   >> ...Solving either in the next 20 years is conceivable, but not   
   >> a small project...   
   >   
   >But if you have lots of ion thruster, you can have lots of solar   
   >arrays, each flying independently, powered by four ion thrusters.   
      
   If they're connected by cables or structural elements, they are *not*   
   flying independently, and the dynamics problems have *not* gone away.   
      
   If anything, the dynamics are worse.  The problem is more complicated,   
   with a multitude of thrusters thrusting at slightly different levels in   
   slightly different directions, plus the dynamics of what happens if a   
   thruster shuts down (ion thrusters do shut down temporarily, now and then,   
   due to things like grid shorts).   
      
   >Since the acceleration is so low, even a light weight latice could take   
   >the strain.   
      
   Lighter, i.e. more flexible, structure makes the dynamics problems worse,   
   not better.   
   --   
   "Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend."    |   Henry Spencer   
                                   -- George Herbert       | henry@spsystems.net   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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