Abstract In the commented paper, an equation is generated for the acceleration that a passive (class A) stellar engine, or ‘Shkadov thruster’, is capable of producing. However, the equation listed in the commented paper is incorrect—one of the assumptions it is based off of is erroneous, and it does not properly account for the reflectivity of the Shkadov thruster's mirror surface. Here, we derive the correct equation. In summary, the geometric prefactor of Eq. 1 in the commented paper, given as (1/2 + 1/6)ε, should instead be (3/4)ε.
Highlights Recent paper on stellar engines (Acta Astronautica 165: 96–104, 2019) is discussed. In commented paper, equation for acceleration of a Shkadov thruster is incorrect. Here, the correct equation in derived.
Comments on “Stellar engines: Design considerations for maximizing acceleration”
Acta Astronautica ; 179 ; 495-497
2020-11-20
3 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Stellar engines: Design considerations for maximizing acceleration
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