NASA: magnetic solar sail.....

[Dr Mordrid]

Not really Star Trek

Russian space pioneer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and his Latvian assistant Friderikh Tsander first discribed the essentials of solar sailing in the mid 1920's. In the early 1950's (1951-52?) there was also an article in Amazing Science Fiction called "Clipper Ships of Space" discribing how they would work.

Modern high performance solar sails were first discribed Dr. K. Eric Drexler in his 1979 Masters at MIT. He gained a US patent on his design in 1986.

Dr. Mordrid

[K6-III]

I could see a magnetic launcher launch a craft from the moon, which would then, in turn, deploy a magnetic solar sail....

[Dr Mordrid]

Why go half way and require the magnetic launcher? Just put an electric power source (reactor probably) on the craft and use it to power a maser or laser.

The energy from either hitting the sail would accelerate it at a pretty good clip judging from most studies, but it does cut the payload capacity by the weight of the power source.

Dr. Mordrid