3. Laser Propulsion and Demonstrations

This comprehensive research explores the potential of laser propulsion as a cost-effective alternative for space launches and as a solution for space debris removal. The first part delves into pulsed laser orbital launchers, introducing their principles, examining different vehicle types, and assessing past studies for feasibility in mass space transportation. Detailed trajectory analyses and cost evaluations show significant potential for cost reduction, especially with high-power lasers like laser diodes or fiber lasers in arrays with coherent coupling. The second part demonstrates laser propulsion’s practical applications, detailing the operation of laser-driven in-tube accelerators (LITAs) and wall-ablative, laser-driven in-tube accelerators and presenting experimental procedures for satellite spin breaking using TEA CO2 and Nd:YLF lasers. The chapter concludes by proposing the use of laser ablation impulses for deorbiting nonfunctional satellites, presenting a promising strategy for space debris removal.