Laser-boosted light sail experimentswith the 150 kW LHMEL II CO2 laser

Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

Volumn 4760, Issue II, 2002, Pages 774-798

  Myrabo, Leik N ^a   Knowles, Timothy R ^b   Bagford, John O ^c   Seibert, Dan B ^c   Harris, Henry M ^d  

^a RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE   (United States)

^b Energy Science Laboratories Inc   (United States)

^c WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE   (United States)

^d CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY   (United States)

Author keywords

Carbon microtruss fabric; Laser lightsail; Laser photonic thrust; Laser propulsion

Indexed keywords

COATED MATERIALS; CONTINUOUS WAVE LASERS; LIGHT REFLECTION; PROPULSION; SPUTTERING;

LASER PROPULSION;

CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS;

EID: 0036442917     PISSN: 0277786X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Conference Proceeding    
DOI: 10.1117/12.482034     Document Type: Conference Paper

References (16)

1. R.L. Forward, "Pluto - The Gateway to the Stars," Missiles and Rockets, Vol. 10, pp. 26-28, April 1962; reprinted as "Pluto: Last Stop Before the Stars," Science Digest, Vol. 52, pp. 70-75, August 1962.
2. R.L. Forward, "Pluto - The Gateway to the Stars," Missiles and Rockets, Vol. 10, pp. 26-28, April 1962; reprinted as "Pluto: Last Stop Before the Stars," Science Digest, Vol. 52, pp. 70-75, August 1962.
3. G. Marx, "Interstellar Vehicle Propelled by Terrestrial Laser Beam," Nature, Vol. 211, No. 5044, pp. 22-23, 2 July 1966.
4. J.L. Redding, "Interstellar Vehicle Propelled by Terrestrial Laser Beam," Nature, Vol. 213, No. 5076, pp. 588-589, 11 February 1967.
5. P.C. Norem, "Interstellar Travel, A Round Trip Propulsion System with Relativistic 1969.
6. W.E. Moeckel, "Propulsion by Impinging Laser Beams," J. Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 9, No. 12, pp. 942-944, December 1972.
7. R.L. Forward, "Laser Weapon Target Practice with Gee-whiz Targets," Proceedings of the SDIO/DARPA Workshop on Laser Propulsion, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7-8 July, 1986.
8. R.L. Forward, "Roundtrip Interstellar Travel Using Laser-Pushed Lightsails," J. Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 21, pp. 187-189, March-April 1989.
9. G.A. Landis, "Optics and Materials Considerations for a Laser-Propelled Lightsail," Paper IAA-89-664, 40th Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, 7-12 October 1898, Malaga, Spain.
10. G.A. Landis, "Laser-Powered Interstellar Probe, APS Bulletin, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 1699, 1991; see also, "Laser-Powered Interstellar Probe," presented at Planetary Society Conference on Practical Robotic Interstellar Flight, NY University, 29 August-1 September 1994.
11. G.A. Landis, "Laser-Powered Interstellar Probe, APS Bulletin, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 1699, 1991; see also, "Laser-Powered Interstellar Probe," presented at Planetary Society Conference on Practical Robotic Interstellar Flight, NY University, 29 August-1 September 1994.
12. G.A. Landis, "Small Laser-Pushed Lightsail Interstellar Probe: A Study of Parameter Variations," J. British Interplanetary Soc., Vol. 50, pp. 149-154, 1997; also presented at the 46th International Astronautical Congress, Paper IAA-95-4.1.1.02, Oslo, Norway, October 1995.
13. G.A. Landis, "Small Laser-Pushed Lightsail Interstellar Probe: A Study of Parameter Variations," J. British Interplanetary Soc., Vol. 50, pp. 149-154, 1997; also presented at the 46th International Astronautical Congress, Paper IAA-95-4.1.1.02, Oslo, Norway, October 1995.
14. L.N. Myrabo, T.R. Knowles, J.O. Bagford, D.B. Seibert, and H.M. Harris, "Experimental Investigation of Laser-Pushed Light Sails in a Vacuum," AIAA 2000-3336, 36th AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference, 16-19 July 2000, Huntsville, AL.
15. "Solar Sailing: The Next Space Craze?," by Joel Crossman, Engineering and Science, Vol. LXIII, No. 4, 2000, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, pp. 18-29.
16. "Laser and Microwave Sails Move Closer to Reality," Space Views, Acton, MA, July 9, 2000. (www.spaceviews.com).