/sci/ - Science & Math

>>11984177
>>11984210
Here's where the Treasure Planet stuff kicks in.
>Because of the L2 launch optimization trick, you wind up with large spaceports on asteroids and moons, and chemical rocket ferry service to Earth and Mars from their spaceports. Pic related.
>The sail works on ships with hundreds of tons of payload, which allows cheap and fast mining of comets, asteroids, and small moons that don't require large landers, thus providing a space economy to use those ports.
>Thrust scales with sail radius and power needs are moderate, almost exactly like seafaring sail craft, so you could have small, fast pirate ships racing around preying on lumbering merchant men.