Study to Determine the Effectiveness and Cost of a Laser-Powered "Lightcraft" Vehicle System - Results to Guide Future Developments

Abstract

Laser-powered lightcraft systems that deliver microsatellites to low earth orbit have been studied for the Air Force Research Laboratory. One result of this Study has been discovery of the significant influence of laser wavelength on the power lost during laser beam propagation through Earth's atmosphere and in space. Here, 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.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2003
Accession Number
ADA452129

Entities

People

  • Alan Pike
  • C. W. L:arson
  • Franklin B. Mead Jr.
  • H. D. Froning
  • Leon Mckinney

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Atmospheres
  • Earth Orbits
  • Ground Based
  • Laser Beams
  • Lasers
  • Losses
  • Low Earth Orbits
  • Microsatellites
  • Military Research
  • Orbits
  • Radiation
  • Space Transportation
  • Test Facilities
  • Trajectories
  • Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris