[jhgb]

I wonder, has anyone seriously considered employing the Oberth effect as close to the Sun as possible? Combined with using solar power for propulsion energy, that could get interesting.

[the8472]

I could swear I have seen a video on building a test chamber with an intense light source to test a heat shield similar to the parker solar probe but with hydrogen or helium piped through it for a solar thermal thruster. But I can't find it now.

[kortilla]

There isn’t a way to use solar power for propulsion energy. The issue isn’t an electrical source, the problem is emitting mass.

[dragonwriter]

> There isn’t a way to use solar power for propulsion energy

That’s...demonstrated to be false.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_sail

[bawolff]

What about a photon rocket? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon_rocket

[jhgb]

Solar electric propulsion and solar thermal propulsion seem to work just fine.

[totetsu]

Byebye Americas cup and f1, hello solar drag racing