Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
NUCLEARSPACE MESSAGE BOARD (ACTIVE) -> NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SPACE -> "Advanced Plasma Rocket Tested in Costa Rica"
Post Info TOPIC: "Advanced Plasma Rocket Tested in Costa Rica"
John


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 366
Date:
RE: "Advanced Plasma Rocket Tested in Costa Rica"
Permalink  

Since we still have to use on board propellants as reaction mass what sort of specific impluse would should a laser system produce?

__________________
10kBq Jaro


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 411
Date:
Permalink  

The on-board propellant would be hydrogen, just like an NTR, so we can expect similar specific impulse.
However, since the choice of materials for the laser-heated HX is much less limited than the choice of reactor (fission fuel) materials, the achievable specific impulse should be higher than an NTR -- probably in excess of 1000 sec.

__________________
John


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 366
Date:
Permalink  

How difficult would it be to keep the laser bean focused in order to heat the hydrogen?  This would seem to be a very challenging process.

__________________
GoogleNaut


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 606
Date:
Permalink  

Not if the end of the vehicle contained the final focussing optics as a part of the engine bell. You just have to keep the beam focussed on a spot no bigger than two meters across--almost a piece of cake. (O.K., it might be a little hard!)


__________________
Andrew


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 199
Date:
"Advanced Plasma Rocket Tested in Costa Rica"
Permalink  

What I wonder is a, how do you aim that laser beam so it hits only the exhaust, and b, how do you keep the "focussing optics" from melting because of the hot exhaust?

__________________
10kBq Jaro


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 411
Date:
RE: "Advanced Plasma Rocket Tested in Costa Rica"
Permalink  

Actually, I was thinking of a different arrangement, where the laser ground station is over a hundred miles down-range from the launch site -- so the incidence angle of the beam on the belly of the SSTO is around 90 degrees, but obviously varying as the craft approaches and departs.

The HX target area on the belly of the SSTO would be considerably larger than either a rocket nozzle, or the diameter of an ICBM.
The ABL (AirBorne Laser) aircraft is slated to demonstrate an ICBM intercept in the coming years -- that's a hit from one moving object on another moving object (the ICBM).
Presumably this would be considerably easier for a ground-based laser, with a very predictable & larger target.....

__________________
«First  <  1 2 3 | Page of 3  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
NUCLEARSPACE MESSAGE BOARD (ACTIVE) -> NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SPACE -> "Advanced Plasma Rocket Tested in Costa Rica"
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard