Super Sail to Mars

What ever happened to President Bush’s bold Moon station/Mars exploration plan? Think we’ll be hearing about it in the State of the Union? Interesting.
Anyway whenever we have a serious–rather than poll-driven–proposal to head to Mars this technology might be handy:

Gregory Benford of the University of California, Irvine, and his brother James, who runs aerospace research firm Microwave Sciences in Lafayette, California, envisage beaming microwave energy up from Earth to boil off volatile molecules from a specially formulated paint applied to the sail. The recoil of the molecules as they streamed off the sail would give it a significant kick that would help the craft on its way. “It’s a different way of thinking about propulsion,” Gregory Benford says. “We leave the engine on the ground.”
. . .
In a forthcoming issue of the journal Acta Astronautica, the Benfords explain how a sail covered with a paint designed to emit gas when it is heated might propel a spacecraft to Mars in just a month. A rocket would take the craft to low-Earth orbit, 300 kilometres up. After the craft unfurls a solar sail 100 metres across, a transmitter on Earth would fire microwaves at it to heat it up. The Benfords calculate a one-hour burst of microwaves could accelerate the craft to 60 kilometres per second, faster than any interplanetary spacecraft to date.

I don’t know enough about this to comment on its feasibility. But if we’re ever going to venture to Mars, we clearly need a faster method of travel. Perhaps this concept will be it.

Time Of The Essence

Josh Marshall on the Social Security “crisis”:

The program is in such a dire state of crisis, it would seem, that every time the bean counters run the numbers, its solvency seems assured even further into the future.
As in Iraq, you start to understand that there is a Social Security crisis. The longer President Bush waits, the more likely it is that even rosier numbers will come out on Social Security’s long-term financing.
There really isn’t a moment to lose.

Indeed. Generally, a president wants to push a major bill through quickly because the longer it takes to pass, the stronger and more organized its opponents become. In this case, Bush is confronting not only an opposition, but also reality. Better act quickly before the two join forces.

Enshrining Freedom

Commission a sculptor:

The man replacing the mayor of Baghdad — who was assassinated for his pro-American loyalties — says he is not worried about his ties to Washington.
In fact, he’d like to erect a monument to honor President Bush in the middle of the city.
“We will build a statue for Bush,” said Ali Fadel, the former provincial council chairman. “He is the symbol of freedom.”

I wonder what the over/under odds would be on number of days that would stand intact.

Knox County’s First Felony Animal Abuse Case

Sickening:

In a calculated campaign of domestic violence, a Knoxville man broke the neck of his stepdaughter’s puppy, suffocated it and then laughed as he presented the dead animal to the girl and her mother, a warrant alleges.

One wonders if prison is sufficient punishment for such a creep.