Can a Palladium Foam Parachute Slow Down a Spaceship Traveling at 0.4c?

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A medium-sized spacecraft, weighing approximately 1500 tons and traveling at 0.4c, is exploring methods to decelerate using a drag mechanism from the interstellar medium. The proposed method involves deploying a parachute-like structure made from palladium foam to capture hydrogen particles, utilizing a momentum-transferring tether to slow the ship gradually, targeting a deceleration of about one percent per year. The design emphasizes maximizing the area of the parachute while minimizing its thickness and mass. It is suggested that the structure should not exceed a few micrometers in thickness, as the goal is to harness the inertia of the interstellar medium rather than trap it. The discussion highlights the importance of engineering principles similar to those used in solar sails for effective design.
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Ship is traveling at .4c.

It is medium sized, about 1500 tons displacement.

One way I want to slow down is using a parachute of sorts to use the drag from the interstellar medium. This doesn't have to be the majority of the deceleration, just a small part. A percent a year is fine.

What I was thinking making it from palladium foam. The idea is to catch the hydrogen and with a momentum transferring tether, slow the ship. I'm thinking the chute would be out for years and cover a very large area. (it might have to be brought in periodically to flush the hydrogen ).

How large would something like this be, in area and thickness? And how massive as well? Is palladium foam a plausible material?

 
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Hello. Density and mass of interstellar medium are given, we can do estimation any way.
 
I think you would probably find a better engineering analogy with a solar sail.

Maximum area, minimum thickness, minimum mass. You're not trapping the interstellar medium; you're just stealing its inertia and then letting it go. There's no reason for it to be thicker than a handful of micrometers.
 
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