Would this design be useful for surviving relativistic impacts?
Let's say that I've developed a new engine that can accelerate at 1G continuously. Within about a year, I'm nearing the speed of light. Naturally, I recognize the danger of collisions with gas and dust. I have magnetic fields to sweep away ionized matter, but it doesn't work for non-ionized matter and it adds drag.
My chief engineer had an idea. He suggested we build a massive but thin solar sail and keep it in front of our ships, using our lasers to accelerate it at the same speed as our ship. This sail would suffer the brunt of any impacts from the interstellar medium.
So, is this a good idea, or are we just going to get hit by chunks of shattered solar sail?
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