LightCraft Launch Oct 2000 - laserbeam powered propulsion

Prior to liftoff, a jet of compressed air is used to spin the lightcraft to about 10,000 revolutions per minute (RPMs). The spin is needed to stabilize the craft gyroscopically.

Once the lightcraft is spinning at an optimal speed, the laser is turned on, blasting the lightcraft into the air. The 10-kilowatt laser pulses at a rate of 25-28 times per second. By pulsing, the laser continues to push the craft upward. The light beam is focused by the parabolic mirror on the bottom of the lightcraft, which heats the air to between 18,000 and 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit (9,982 and 29,982 degrees Celsius) -- that's several times hotter than the surface of the sun. When you heat air to these high temperatures, it is converted to a plasma state -- this plasma then explodes to propel the craft upward.

(note: the Lightcraft here actually employed a plastic ablative propellant. So the "it burns air" statement is not entirely correct - the laser is igniting air AND PROPELLANT)

Lightcraft Technologies uses a Pulsed Laser Vulnerability Test System (PLVTS), an offspring of the Star Wars defense program. The 10 kw Carbon-dioxide pulsed laser being used for the experimental lightcraft is among the most powerful in the world.

more info:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/light-propulsion.htm
http://www.lightcrafttechnologies.com

Wondering what's currently happening with Laser Launch Technology? Look here:
http://nextbigfuture.com/search/label/lasers

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Beamed
• Energy
• Propulsion
• Light
• Microsatellite
• laser
• launch
• space
• lightcraft
• satellite
• test
• Carbon-dioxide
• CO2
• PLVTS

[wavewash]

How will it continue to lift when it reaches a point that the atmosphere is too thin to allow for "igniting air" for propulsion?

[roidroid]

@wavewash If they can pick up enough speed while in the atmosphere, they can then "zoom climb" outof the atmosphere in a ballistic trajectory.

If more thrust is needed while in vacuum - the laser burns off a layer of ablative fuel painted onto the outside of the craft. This gives a more efficient thrust than normal chemical rockets.

[gbilios]

whats happening with this technology now?

[roidroid]

It's waiting for lasers to get more powerful, which is finally happening now.

Lightcrafttechnologies website has recently changed

Also here's some recently published articles (google them):

Wired - February 20, 2009: "Laser Powered Aircraft are the future of Flight. Maybe"

Nextbigfuture - July 30, 2009: "Laser Propulsion Tests in Brazil using Gigawatt Pulsed Lasers"

Centauri Dreams - September 14 2009: "Lightcraft: A Laser Push to Orbit"

September 15 2009: "Lightcraft Experiments Continue"

[ccaptorchen]

lol... allot of conspiracy nut cases in the comment section. wake up fools, there is no such thing as anti gravity, at least not yet. over powering gravitational force by electromagnetic is not " anti gravity" the same way rockets are not consider "anti gravity" you just over powering it with a stronger force, since gravity is the weakest force.

[salemcripple]

"Conspiracy theories in comparison, are generally non-verifiable"

I would like to add that allot of conspiracy theories are complete and utter b/s to anyone with more than half a brain. And are generally created by people who have no clear understanding of what they are talking about. The "controlled demo 9/11" crowd for example. Any ways, that's just my two cents on the convo.

[univerisan765]

Ok then, a question... since the air ignites to a plasma-state several times hotter than the sun, despite the parabolic reflectors, how much heat is obsorbed by the body? Does the plasma cool almost instantly once it returns to air, or does it dissipate at an even rate? Simply asking out of curiosity... :)

[hellomate639]

Well, I think we ought to consider the fact that a military laser recently cut through 20 ft of steel per second.

I would love to see how quickly you could accelerate this thing with a laser like that....

[roidroid]

@fmsmonsters it's just heat, it's like a bolt of lightning.

[fmsmonsters]

@fmsmonsters I mean.... I love edge technology but when it does not affect the nature

[fmsmonsters]

"...which heats the air to between 18,000 and 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit...--that's several times hotter than the surface of the sun."

I don't wanna imagine what will happen with atmosphere when they use something bigger

"How R u supposed 2 know? F...reaking men like u built the hydrogen bomb. Men like u thought it up. U think u're so creative. U don't know what it's like 2 really create something; 2 create a life; 2 feel it growing inside u. All u know how 2 create is death..." - Sarah Connor

[underworldx16]

@wavewash there will be a small amount of hydrogen fuel on board

[underworldx16]

@wavewash there will be a small amount of hydrogen fuel on board

[Pooua]

@busterpiggle Large gyroscopes could be sufficient, but that would add a lot of mass just to stabilize the craft. Aerodynamic stabilizers could also be used after the craft is up to speed. Rockets could be used, or, perhaps some of the energy that propels the craft could be used for stabilizing thrusters.

[busterpiggle]

How would you stabilize a full sized craft without spinning it? Precisely balancing a payload would be almost impossible.