Flight Analysis of a Parabolic Lightcraft – Ground-based Launch

Abstract

An experimental environment has been developed for free flight experiments with a parabolic lightcraft in a laboratory scale. An electron beam sustained CO₂ laser is employed as source for energy beaming with 10.6 µm wavelength, ~ 10 µs pulse duration, pulse energies up to 200 J and repetition rates up to 40 Hz. The free flight range of 1.7 meters enables to monitor several subsequent pulses in one flight as well as, in the case of Delrin (POM) as a propellant, a single pulse with a large momentum transfer. The impulse coupling is derived from flight trajectories and analyzed with respect to the temporal course of the flight. The influence of beam-related parameters like pulse energy and repetition rate are discussed regarding the flight performance. Finally, an insight is given into actual work on the transformation of the testbed for flights in vacuum.