Documents / Report
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.
“Mission Control”8 pages
UNCLASSIFIED/ ,craR 8FFI&I.«1k WliEii a,.klf • Terminal seeker guidance for hit-to-kill accuracy against missiles and maneuvering aircraft. • Axial-/lateral-propulsion and control for missile and maneuvering aircraft interception. • Additional mass along Lightcraft centerline for hardened target penetration. LIGHTCRAFT MISSION INVESTIGATIONS: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Ground/Sea to Space (ETO) [261 If laser propulsion can provide nearly all Lightcraft !),v needed to reach LEO, then Lightcraft nanosat systems, which combine both launch vehicle and nanosat subsystems within a single vehicle, may be achievable with launch masses in the 2 kg to 10 kg range; and such Lightcraft nanosat systems appear capable of reaching LEO at 1/Sth to 1/10th the cost required using multistage chemical rocket systems. Air to Space (Air to Orbit) [261 If hypersonic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) airbreathing propulsion research and development currently underway at the NSF, NASA and the AFRL (Dayton, OH) is successful, then Lightcraft dry masses as heavy as 100 kg can be launched from aircraft flying at Mach 10 to 12 at about 30 km above the Earth. Such Lightcraft could be propelled by laser power as high as 100 MW that can be generated from the electrical power of ionized-air-slowing by interacting electric and magnetic fields within hypersonic MHD airbreathing engines. Air to Space (Ballistic Missile Interception) [261 Sufficient impact energy for destruction of high-speed ballistic missiles above the atmosphere is possible with chemical propulsion and uncooled IR detectors (for semi- active homing and axial/lateral acceleration during end-game) integrated into Lightcraft vehicles for an approximate 100% dry mass increase (from 1.0 kg to 2.0 kg). But multiple target interception within allowable time is limited by relatively long beam- riding time needed for the Lightcraft to reach and destroy each target. Although laser-propelled Lightcraft appear capable of performing certain Air Force tactical missions, and are much less expensive than missiles currently used for such missions, the laser and aircraft costs associated with Lightcraft launches are much greater. Also, clouds impair Lightcraft air-to-ground and air-to-air effectiveness while air-to-air and air-to-space effectiveness is limited by long Lightcraft beam-riding times. Thus, no truly attractive Lightcraft combat mission was found. On the other hand, Lightcraft were found to be extremely attractive, compared to chemical rockets, in boosting microsats, nanosats, and picosats to LEO whereby the Lightcraft plus ground/sea-based laser costs are significantly less than multistage chemical rocket costs. Thus, the selected Lightcraft missions are launch vehicle missions involving 29 UNCLASSIFIED//F&R 8FFI&I.t.k Wlili a••k\f
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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.