Laser propulsion (Q. Zhang)
Since the beginning of spaceflight, humans have accomplished wonderful feats of exploration and showcased their drive to understand the universe.
Yet, in those 60 years, only one spacecraft, Voyager 1 (launched in 1977) has left the solar system. As remarkable as this is, humans will never reach even the nearest stars with out current propulsion technology. Instead, radically new strategies involving the technology already available must be used.
We propose a roadmap to a program that will lead to sending relativistic probes to the nearest stars.
To do so requires a fundamental change in our thinking of both propulsion and our definition of what a spacecraft is. In addition to larger spacecrafts capable of human transportation, we consider “wafer sats”, wafer-scale systems weighing no more than a gram. The wafer sats would include integrated optical communications, optical systems, and sensors. These crafts, combined with directed energy propulsion, could be capable of speeds greater than 0.25 c.
This program has applications for planetary defense, SETI and Kepler missions.
via UCSB
The richness of the interstellar medium from the sun to the nearest stars (Keck Institute for Space Studies)
Learn more: Directed Energy Interstellar Precursors
The Latest on: Space laser propulsion
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The Latest on: Space laser propulsion
- Laser Propulsion Could Satisfy Our Spacecraft’s Need For Speedon July 1, 2022 at 5:00 pm
As it turns out though, lasers could hold the key to cutting down travel times in space! 45 Days To Mars on the Laser Laser thermal propulsion is a relatively simple concept, and could get our ...
- laser propulsionon June 30, 2022 at 4:59 pm
conventional chemical rocket technology simply doesn’t cut the mustard. As it turns out though, lasers could hold the key to cutting down travel times in space!
- Looking to co-create defence tech with India: UK Minister Jeremy Quinon June 30, 2022 at 3:03 am
The Royal Navy and British industry now stand ready to co-produce an indigenous Electric Propulsion capability in support of the Indian Navy. The UK is also working with India on strategic ...
- NASA announces launch delay for Psyche asteroid missionon June 29, 2022 at 3:53 am
As the mission team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern ... study twin binary asteroid systems, and the Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration to test high-data-rate ...
- NASA's Psyche mission: 2022 launch is off after software arrives lateon June 27, 2022 at 7:03 am
Sadly for NASA's mission to take samples from the asteroid Psyche, software problems mean the spacecraft is going to miss its 2022 launch window. The US space agency made the announcement on Friday: ...
- NASA’s Psyche mission to an unexplored metal world comes to a halton June 27, 2022 at 1:52 am
This demo is designed to test high-data-rate laser communications that could change the way ground teams communicate with spacecraft across deep space. The spacecraft also has a number of innovations, ...
- NASA's Psyche mission to an unexplored metal world comes to a halton June 24, 2022 at 2:04 pm
This demo is designed to test high-data-rate laser communications ... with spacecraft across deep space. The spacecraft also has a number of innovations, like ion propulsion rather than ...
- Velo3D makes in-kind investment in Plasmoson June 21, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Credit: Plasmos SAN FRANCISCO – Propulsion startup Plasmos is testing ... print rocket engines and other mission-critical parts for space. Velo3D’s metal 3D printing technology is also used ...
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