Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been developing a transatmospheric 'Lightcraft' technology which uses beamed laser energy to propel advanced shuttle craft to orbit. In the past several years, Rensselaer students have analyzed the unique combined-cycle Lightcraft engine, designed a small unmanned Lightcraft Technology Demonstrator, and conceptualized larger manned Lightcraft - to name just a few of the interrelated design projects. The 1990-91 class carried out preliminary and detailed design efforts for a one-person 'Mercury' Lightcraft, using computer-aided design and finite-element structural modeling techniques. In addition, they began construction of a 2.6 m-diameter, full-scale engineering prototype mockup. The mockup will be equipped with three robotic legs that 'kneel' for passenger entry and exit. More importantly, the articulated tripod gear is crucial for accurately pointing at, and tracking the laser relay mirrors, a maneuver that must be performed just prior to liftoff. Also accomplished were further design improvements on a 6-inch-diameter Lightcraft model (for testing in RPI's hypersonic tunnel), and new laser propulsion experiments. The resultant experimental data will be used to calibrate Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) codes and analytical laser propulsion models that can simulate vehicle/engine flight conditions along a transatmospheric boost trajectory. These efforts will enable the prediction of distributed aerodynamic and thruster loads over the entire full-scale spacecraft.


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    Titel :

    The lightcraft project


    Beteiligte:
    Messitt, Don G. (Autor:in) / Myrabo, Leik N. (Autor:in)


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1991-01-01


    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Konferenz)


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch


    Schlagwörter :


    Lightcraft Project

    D. G. Messitt / L. N. Myrabo | NTIS | 1991


    Apollo Lightcraft Project

    Myrabo, Leik N. / Smith, Wayne L. / Decusatis, Casimer et al. | NTRS | 1988


    Apollo Lightcraft project

    Myrabo, Leik N. / Blandino, John S. / Borkowski, Chris A. et al. | NTRS | 1987


    Apollo Lightcraft Project

    Myrabo, Leik N. / Atonison, Mark A. / Chen, Sammy G. et al. | NTRS | 1989


    Apollo Lightcraft Project

    L. N. Myrabo / M. A. Atonison / S. G. Chen et al. | NTIS | 1989