In the past years, microwave gyrotron technology has rapidly evolved to a critical threshold wherein ultra‐energetic space launch missions based on beamed energy propulsion (BEP) now appear eminently feasible. Over the next 20 years, hundred megawatt‐class microwave power‐beaming stations could be prototyped on high deserts and 3‐ to 4 km mountain peaks before migrating into low Earth orbit, along with their passive microwave relay satellites. Described herein is a 20 GW rechargeable nuclear power satellite and microwave power‐beaming infrastructure designed for manned space launch operations in the year 2025. The technological readiness of 2500 GJ superconducting magnetic energy storage “batteries,” 433‐m ultralight space structures, 100 MW liquid droplet radiators, gyrotron sources, and mega‐scale arrays (e.g., 3000 phase‐locked units) is addressed. Microwave BEP is “breakthrough” technology with the very real potential to radically reduce space access costs by factors of 100 to 1000 in the forseeable future.
Microwave Power Beaming Infrastructure for Manned Lightcraft Operations: Part 2
BEAMED ENERGY PROPULSION: Fifth International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion ; 2007 ; Kailua‐Kona (Hawaii)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 997 , 1 ; 482-493
2008-04-28
12 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Microwave Power Beaming Infrastructure for Manned Lightcraft Operations
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