Beamed-energy launch concepts employing a microwave thermal thruster

What do you think about these two documents?

Feasibility and Performance of the Microwave Thermal Rocket Launcher
(Kevin L.G. Parkin, Fred E.C. Culick)
http://monolith.caltech.edu/Papers/ParkinLauncher.pdf (2914 ko)


The Microwave Thermal Thruster Concept
(Kevin L.G. Parkin, Leo D. DiDomenico, Fred E.C. Culick)
http://monolith.caltech.edu/Papers/ParkinThruster.pdf (5724 ko)

Henri

"Henri" wrote in message ...
What do you think about these two documents?

Feasibility and Performance of the Microwave Thermal Rocket Launcher
(Kevin L.G. Parkin, Fred E.C. Culick)
http://monolith.caltech.edu/Papers/ParkinLauncher.pdf (2914 ko)

Intriguing technically, and well worth looking at further. Couple of
obstacles:

- Does Hydrogen Vapour has negative environmental impacts?
- The 17g is a bit high for most payloads.
- This is another high fixed cost, low marginal cost solution that in
the current climate, and without a significant market, won't be
economical.

Ultimately, this could be used to launch human flights, but it would
need to be powered for 1,000 km, so this could need 3 or 4 ground
stations, along an East West Line of 1,000km, at altitude.
Alternatively, use a ground station for intitial beaming, and then
flip the plane over and use a powersat for beaming (over unpopulated
areas).



The Microwave Thermal Thruster Concept
(Kevin L.G. Parkin, Leo D. DiDomenico, Fred E.C. Culick)
http://monolith.caltech.edu/Papers/ParkinThruster.pdf (5724 ko)

Henri