AAWSAP DIRD, Laser Lightcraft Nanosatellites, November 2010

This Defense Intelligence Reference Document (DIA-08-1011-001), dated 1 November 2010, was prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency's Defense Warning Office under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program. It covers nanosatellite technologies, laser Lightcraft propulsion, a weapon mission selection study and a multi-megawatt laser study. The author recommends that the Department of Defense, working with NASA, bring laser Lightcraft propulsion research back to the United States and restart the Air Force X-50LR test flight program.

From the source:Release of 2026-09-18 Incident: 11/1/10, Las Vegas, Nevada. Released with redactions. This document is a Defense Intelligence Reference Document (DIRD), a technical reference format used by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to capture baseline knowledge on a specific topic for later analytic use. DIRDs are best understood as reference and synthesis products rather than as original research. It is one of 38 DIRDs produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) between 2009 and 2011. Because AAWSAP’s scope permitted a broad range of supporting topics, not every DIRD in the series directly concerns aerospace systems or future threat assessment. The following summary reflects the DIRD’s scope and framing at the time of writing and should not be read as implying current validation of the concepts discussed. This DIRD examines laser-propelled “Lightcraft” as a possible low-cost method to launch very small satellites into low Earth orbit by using a remote high-energy laser to supply most of the propulsion energy rather than relying entirely on onboard energy sources. The report combines a survey of nanosatellite trends with a review of “Lightcraft” propulsion concepts, vehicle design, beam-control requirements, and mission studies, and argues that the most promising application is the launch of nano- or pico-satellites, especially Earth- and space-observing payloads of a few kilograms or less. It presents the concept as potentially much cheaper than conventional multistage rockets for very small payloads, while also noting significant practical constraints including strict beam-riding geometry, atmospheric losses, demanding pointing and adaptive-optics requirements, and heavy dependence on large ground-, sea-, or air-based laser infrastructure. Overall, the document presents laser “Lightcraft” as a technically plausible launch concept whose attractiveness depends on whether the supporting laser and beam-control system can be made reliable and economical at operational scale.

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Figure 6. Lightcraft Undergoing Horizontal Guide-Wire Flight Test (courtesy of F. Mead,
AFRL/PRSP, Edwards AFB, CA).
SUMMARY OF TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE AND BENEFITS
We outline below the propulsion performance features of the laser Lightcraft launch
system:
• The system is single-stage-to-orbit and completely reusable.
• Almost no onboard propellant is required (the reaction mass is free air), except
for the small internal amount of propellant needed for final ascent to orbit and
orbital maneuvering.
• Vehicle specific impulse (lsp) is essentially infinite (::: several x 103 seconds in
rocket mode).
• Payload mass fractions are"" 50 - 95%.
• These systems are simple, reliable, safe, environmentally clean, and could have
a very high all azimuth on-demand launch rate.
• Reduces space launch costs by two to three orders of magnitude below today's
levels: estimated launch costs are $20/kg to $600/kg of payload (not including
life cycle and launch operations costs).
• The feasibility and physics principles have been proven by the AFRL's Lightcraft
Concept Demonstration Program [11, 16-25].
Lightcraft systems have sufficient power density to operate as ETO launch systems. It
requires a beam power of 0.1 to 1 MW per kg of vehicle mass, while orbit-to-orbit
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