Despite years of research, laser propulsion on liquid propellants has yet to achieve specific impulses greater than tens of seconds. It is well established that liquids, when used as propellants, can provide coupling coefficient on the order of 100–1000 dyne/W. However, the specific impulse has proven to be significantly inferior to that for solid propellants. This paper will examine the various laser propulsion schemes based on ablation of liquid propellants and intended primarily for space applications. The principal shortcomings associated with liquid propellants will be outlined.
Laser Propulsion with Liquid Propellants Part I: an Overview
BEAMED ENERGY PROPULSION: Fifth International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion ; 2007 ; Kailua‐Kona (Hawaii)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 997 , 1 ; 195-208
2008-04-28
14 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Laser Propulsion with Liquid Propellants, Part I: An Overview
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2008
|Laser Propulsion with Liquid Propellants, Part II: Thin Films
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2008
|Laser Propulsion with Liquid Propellants Part II: Thin Films
American Institute of Physics | 2008
|