Solar-powered global aerospace transportation

This paper is a progress report on the laser‐propelled Mercury Lightcraft Project at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The laser‐propelled, 1‐person craft has a diameter of 252‐cm, height of 217‐cm, internal volume of 3 m3, ‘dry’ mass of 700 kg, and gross liftoff mass of 1 metric ton. Expendable liquids including 70 kg of liquid hydrogen, and an equivalent mass (at least) of de‐ionized water serves as open‐cycle coolants for the 520 MWe laser/electric power conversion system. Its hyper‐energetic airbreathing engine can easily accelerate the vehicle at 10 Gs or more. The tractor‐beam lightcraft is intended as a prototype for use in a future global aerospace transportation system based on a constellation of satellite solar power stations in geostationary orbit, with laser relay stations in low Earth orbit. Using SolidWorks® 3‐D modeling software, several important features were successfully integrated into the Mercury lightcraft model — principally: a rotating shroud (for spin stabilization); simple actuation system for a new variable‐geometry air inlet; refined optical train for the laser‐heated H2 plasma generators; pneumatically deployed, robotic quadra‐pod landing gear; ejection seat/pod/hatch system; and a more detailed airframe structural concept. The CAD effort has brought the Mercury Lightcraft concept one significant step closer to reality.

Economic analysis of a beam-powered, personalized global aerospace transportation system