Alpha or MIR-2

>

> station by 2004". Maybe solar sails could be made using the
AsterAnt magic
> and Progress cargo re-supply spacecraft. So anyone with a "sure-
fire" way

Solar sail testing would benefit from Russian experience in the
field. They have done at least two mylar sheet deployment tests to my
knowledge. The second one failed when the mylar snaged on the
expansion equipment and ripped. I don't recall the outcome of the
first experiment. IIRC, both deployed from a Progress vehicle.
I don't believe the US has any experience in solar sail deployment.
Though Echo might count.

king_rodent (putting the eek in geek)