Future Spacecraft could be Oriented with Photonic Laser Technology

Research engineers have successfully propelled a 450 g spacecraft simulator with pure laser light using Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT) technology.

A high-reflector (HR) mirror mounted on a gliding platform was successfully propelled along a 2 m frictionless air track, simulating zero gravity. Photons bounced back and forth several hundred times between two mirrors producing a thrust of up to 1.1 mN.

Sliding down the track, the mirror was propelled toward a rubber band. Once reaching the band, the object was bounced back towards the source of the photons.

Upon approaching the source, the object slowed to a full stop before moving away again, back toward the rubber band.

Watch the experiment in the video below.

The demonstration shown in the video simulates beaming thrust between vehicles.

A PLT spacecraft system could result in dramatic reductions in fuel consumption in a wide range of space applications. PLT systems could assist with orbit adjustments, drag compensation and rendezvous and docking maneuvers.

PLT’s thrust-beaming capabilities also enable a distributed multivehicle approach versus the single-spacecraft approach. For example, PLT can be used for beaming thrust from a resource vehicle to a more expensive mission vehicle, like a tanker does in aerial refueling.

"PLT technology has the potential to revolutionize space mission designs," said Dr. Mason Peck, associate professor in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University. Dr. Peck also served as NASA's Chief Technologist.

Fully developed PLT could serve commercial and non-commercial needs by increasing the life of LEO satellites while reducing mission costs, says Dr. Peck. “For the future, this unlimited-impulse technology opens doors to applications that are currently impractical, like persistent, precision formations of multiple satellites."

Y.K. Bae Corporation’s experiments all took place in a Class 1000 cleanroom. The project was funded by a Phase II grant of NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC).

Y.K. Bae engineers are currently developing space-qualifiable PLTs, scaling up PLT in thrust and operation range. "Our next milestone is a flight demonstration in low earth orbit, which will prove the technology of PLT-enabled precision formation flying and stationkeeping with small satellites," according to Dr. Bae, CEO of Y.K. Bae Corporation.