Review of Laser Lightcraft Propulsion System (Preprint)

Laser-powered Lightcraft systems that deliver nano-satellites to LEO have been studied for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The study was built on the extensive Lightcraft laser propulsion technology already developed by theoretical and experimental work by the AFRL's Propulsion Direct...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Davis, Eric W, Mead, Jr, Franklin B
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH ORBITS
GROUND BASED
HIGH ENERGY LASERS
LASER BEAMS
LASER PROPAGATION
LASER PROPULSION
Lasers and Masers
LAUNCH VEHICLES
LEO(LOW-EARTH ORBIT)
LIGHTCRAFT
NANO-SATELLITES
PROPAGATION
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
REUSABLE EQUIPMENT
REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES
SPACECRAFT
SYMPOSIA
Unmanned Spacecraft
WUAFRL48470159
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Summary:Laser-powered Lightcraft systems that deliver nano-satellites to LEO have been studied for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The study was built on the extensive Lightcraft laser propulsion technology already developed by theoretical and experimental work by the AFRL's Propulsion Directorate at Edwards AFB, CA. Here we review the history and engineering-physics of the laser Lightcraft system and its propulsive performance. We will also review the effectiveness and cost of a Lightcraft vehicle powered by a high-energy laser beam. One result of this study is the significant influence of laser wavelength on the power lost during laser beam propagation through Earth's atmosphere and in space. It was discovered that energy and power losses in the laser beam are extremely sensitive to wavelength for Earth-to-Orbit missions, and this significantly affects the amount of mass that can be placed into orbit for a given maximum amount of radiated power from a ground-based laser. Submitted for presentation at the International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion (ISBEP) (5th), held in Kona, HI, on 12-15 Nov 2007. Prepared in collaboration with Institute for Advanced Studies, Austin, TX.