Documents / Report

Defense Intelligence Reference Document Laser Lightcraft Nanosatellites

Defense Intelligence Agency · 77 pages · text from the file's own layer

This Defense Intelligence Reference Document from the Defense Intelligence Agency, dated 1 November 2010, was produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It describes nanosatellite technologies and proposes launching nanosats into orbit with laser Lightcraft propulsion. It also covers a weapon mission selection study and multi-megawatt laser options. The author recommends that the Department of Defense and NASA bring Lightcraft R&D back to the United States and restart the X-50LR flight demonstration program.

UNCLASSIFIED//P8"1 8PPU!lit.L 1!191!! 8HLY
Froning and Davis [26] also determined that the ground-based laser selected (le = 1.62
μm, 10 MW radiated power, 10 m diameter aperture) would enable a Lightcra~ takeoff
mass of 8 kg and Lightcraft propellant mass of 4 kg. Therefore, this would allow
approximately 4 kg of mass to be placed into orbit with the selected ground-based
laser. And vehicle synthesis work determined that the remaining masses for the
Lightcraft airframe, propulsion, and control systems would be 0.63 kg, 0.46 kg, and
0.45 kg, respectively, together with a 30 percent contingency (of 0.47 kg).
/<3)
Takeoff Mass= 8.0 kg
Frontal Area = .096 m1
Takeoff Mass= 4.0 kg
Frontal Arca= 0.78 ml
/
Takeoff Mass= 8.0 kg
Frontal Ana = .096 m2
1.00
.001 0
(1)
20
Half-Apex Arigle of Fore body (degrees)
30
Figure 9. Lightcraft Vehicle Evolution (in 3 steps) [261.
Froning and Davis [26] further indicated that small COTS chemical propulsion systems,
with sufficient thrust, would be about a factor of 7 to 12 heavier than those needed to
meet Lightcraft orbit circularization needs. However, such mass reductions were
20
UNCLASSIFIED//F&~ &FFI&I.«11! 1!181! &••1:Y

Not linked to a story yet.

About this file

Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 77 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.