Lightcraft experiments in Germany

Wolfgang O. Schall; Willy L. Bohn; Hans-Albert Eckel; Wilhelm Mayerhofer; Wolfgang Riede; Eberhard Zeyfang

doi:10.1117/12.407369

16 August 2000 Lightcraft experiments in Germany

Wolfgang O. Schall, Willy L. Bohn, Hans-Albert Eckel, Wilhelm Mayerhofer, Wolfgang Riede, Eberhard Zeyfang

Proceedings Volume 4065, High-Power Laser Ablation III; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.407369
Event: High-Power Laser Ablation, 2000, Santa Fe, NM, United States

Abstract

Vertical flight and pendulum experiments have been carried out with a simple paraboloid type lightcraft in the air-breathing mode. Pulsed laser energy of up to 240 J/pulse was delivered from a highly reproducible e-beam sustained CO₂-laser at repetition rates up to 45 Hz. The lightcraft mass was varied in the range between 22 and 55 g. An average thrust of 1.1 N has been derived from the flight data and the highest impulse coupling coefficient found in the pendulum experiments was 33.3(DOT)10^-5 Ns/J. A double shock wave was detected that leaves the thruster exit and an attempt was made to model the thrust, using a modification of Sedov's similarity solution for a blast wave. Finally, the propulsion requirements for the launch of a 10 kg mass into low Earth orbit are presented.

Citation Download Citation

Wolfgang O. Schall, Willy L. Bohn, Hans-Albert Eckel, Wilhelm Mayerhofer, Wolfgang Riede, and Eberhard Zeyfang "Lightcraft experiments in Germany", Proc. SPIE 4065, High-Power Laser Ablation III, (16 August 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.407369

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