Laser broom
Encyclopedia
A laser broom is a proposed ground-based laser
beam-powered propulsion
system whose purpose is to sweep space debris
out of the path of other artificial satellites such as the International Space Station
.
material from the target. The ablating material imparts a small thrust
that lowers its orbital
perigee
into the upper atmosphere, thereby increasing drag
so that its remaining orbital life is short. The laser would operate in pulsed mode to avoid self-shielding of the target by the ablated plasma. The performance of this system is well-below that required for an effective anti-satellite weapon.
Recent NASA research (2011) indicates that firing a laser beam at a piece of space junk could alter velocity by 0.04 inch (0.1016 cm) per second. Keeping it up for a few hours per day could alter its course by 650 feet (198.1 m) per day.
routinely showed evidence of "tiny" impacts upon post-flight inspection.
One laser broom project is named Project Orion (costs 500 Millions $), not to be confused with the spacecraft propulsion
project named Project Orion
or NASA's Orion spacecraft
(or CEV).
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
beam-powered propulsion
Beam-powered propulsion
Beam-powered propulsion is a class of aircraft or spacecraft propulsion mechanisms that use energy beamed to the spacecraft from a remote power plant to provide energy...
system whose purpose is to sweep space debris
Space debris
Space debris, also known as orbital debris, space junk, and space waste, is the collection of objects in orbit around Earth that were created by humans but no longer serve any useful purpose. These objects consist of everything from spent rocket stages and defunct satellites to erosion, explosion...
out of the path of other artificial satellites such as the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
.
Technical description
Lasers are designed to target debris between one and ten centimeters in diameter. Collisions with such debris are commonly of such high velocity that considerable damage and numerous secondary fragments is the result. The laser broom is intended to be used at high enough power to punch through the atmosphere with enough remaining power to ablateLaser ablation
Laser ablation is the process of removing material from a solid surface by irradiating it with a laser beam. At low laser flux, the material is heated by the absorbed laser energy and evaporates or sublimates. At high laser flux, the material is typically converted to a plasma...
material from the target. The ablating material imparts a small thrust
Thrust
Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's second and third laws. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction on that system....
that lowers its orbital
Geocentric orbit
A geocentric orbit involves any object orbiting the Earth, such as the Moon or artificial satellites. Currently there are approximately 2,465 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth and 6,216 pieces of space debris as tracked by the Goddard Space Flight Center...
perigee
Perigee
Perigee is the point at which an object makes its closest approach to the Earth.. Often the term is used in a broader sense to define the point in an orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the body it orbits. The opposite is the apogee, the farthest or highest point.The Greek prefix "peri"...
into the upper atmosphere, thereby increasing drag
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
so that its remaining orbital life is short. The laser would operate in pulsed mode to avoid self-shielding of the target by the ablated plasma. The performance of this system is well-below that required for an effective anti-satellite weapon.
Recent NASA research (2011) indicates that firing a laser beam at a piece of space junk could alter velocity by 0.04 inch (0.1016 cm) per second. Keeping it up for a few hours per day could alter its course by 650 feet (198.1 m) per day.
Applications and proposed project
The Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
routinely showed evidence of "tiny" impacts upon post-flight inspection.
One laser broom project is named Project Orion (costs 500 Millions $), not to be confused with the spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the...
project named Project Orion
Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)
Project Orion was a study of a spacecraft intended to be directly propelled by a series of explosions of atomic bombs behind the craft...
or NASA's Orion spacecraft
Orion (spacecraft)
Orion is a spacecraft designed by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States. Orion development began in 2005 as part of the Constellation program, where Orion would fulfill the function of a Crew Exploration Vehicle....
(or CEV).
Further reading
- 2000 Earth Orbital Debris - NASA Research on Satellite and Spacecraft Effects by World Spaceflight News, CD-ROM: 862 pages ISBN 1-893472-28-0
External links
- BBC News report on Laser broom
- Space Station gets high tech broom ABC
- NASA Hopes Laser Broom Will Help Clean Up Space Debris Agence France-PresseAgence France-PresseAgence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
story via SpaceDaily - Orbiting Junk Continues to Threaten International Space Station Space.com
- Shuttle to test space junk broom New Scientist
- SpaceViews July 1997: Articles ORION: A Solution to the Orbital Debris Problem by Claude Phipps