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.
“The Advance”13 pages
UNCLASSIFIED/ /1"91t 91"1"!@!1111! l!l!il! 8111!¥ which usually result in mirror tilts ( ~ 0 to 400 micro-radians) and drastically reduced beam power, thus maintaining beam power output at maximum design value. ;,.v-=2~·=6c:'ffi::_----~"'~=-l_ 6 ~ 1 ~~~~=izo~-~2~c1~11~~~::-'- 1 :.. L=0.6111 _ w 0=0. l 111111 Figure 32. High-Power FEL Optical Resonator (courtesy of the Naval Post-Graduate School FEL Lab). ESTIMATED PAYLOAD COST FOR LIGHTCRAFT LAUNCH USING A 10 MW BSSSL, HPFL, OR RBFEL SYSTEM No detailed Lightcraft nano- or pico-satellite payload launch cost estimates can be performed at this time because the high-power solid-state and FEL laser devices are emergent technologies still under development and testing; operational deployment is expected to take place within the next two to five years depending on near-future funding and programmatics. However, Table 1 shows that the average cost to launch a laser-propelled Lightcraft (including payload) to LEO is $3,052 per kg. This figure was based on operations, life-cycle, and maintenance costs plus the cost of using a high- power bulk solid-state laser system that is 50% shared with another user. The cost estimates shown in Table 1 were compiled in 2003, so this (average) launch cost estimate will likely go down significantly at present (possibly by 20% or more) due to significantly increased system efficiencies realized within each of these emergent advanced laser technologies, reduced system costs due to widespread acceptance, operational deployment along with dual-use commercialization, and system costs that trend downward as technology matures over time, etc. IPG Photonics sells their industrial HPFL systems (e.g., see Figure 27) for prices ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 depending on the beam power (higher beam power = higher price) and system application. Based on these factors, a simple back-of-the-envelope cost estimate for Lightcraft launch of a payload to LEO is approximately $100 to $300 per kg,~-. while the average cost to launch a laser-propelled Lightcraft (including payload) to LEO will be approximately $800 to $2,000 per kg which includes the operations, life- cycle, maintenance, and laser system costs. An in-depth study will be needed to obtain more precise cost estimates for Lightcraft launch using BSSSL, HPFL, and RBFEL systems. HIGH ENERGY LASER BEAM CONTROL ··costs could be reduced to as low as $20 per kg of payload if Buckytubes are used to construct the Lightcraft. 62 UNCLASSIFIED/ /f81il 8ffll1Als WliEii SUllslf
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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.