Light-Sail Photonic Design for Fast-Transit Earth Orbital Maneuvering and Interplanetary Flight

TL;DR

This paper explores laser-driven light-sailing as a practical propulsion method for rapid Earth orbital maneuvers and interplanetary travel, highlighting near-term feasible laser powers and lightweight spacecraft designs.

Contribution

It demonstrates the practicality of laser propulsion at modest laser powers and small array sizes, and compares its advantages over previous interstellar propulsion concepts.

Findings

Laser propulsion feasible at ~100 kW and ~1 m laser arrays.

Lightweight wafer-scale spacecraft can reach orbits beyond current capabilities.

Silicon nitride and boron nitride are suitable materials for light-sails.

Abstract

Space exploration is of paramount importance to advancing fundamental science and providing global services, such as navigation and communications. However, today's space missions are hindered by limitations of existing propulsion technologies. Here, we examine the use of laser-driven light-sailing for agile Earth orbital maneuvering and for fast-transit exploration of the solar system and interstellar medium. We show that laser propulsion becomes practical at laser powers around 100 kW and laser array sizes ~1 m, which are feasible in the near term. Our analysis indicates that lightweight (1 g - 100 g) wafer-scale (~10 cm) spacecraft may be propelled by lasers to orbits that are beyond the reach of current systems. We further compare our findings with previous interstellar laser propulsion studies, and show that our approach is less constricting on laser architecture and spacecraft photonic design. We discuss material requirements and photonic designs. We show that light-sails made of silicon nitride and boron nitride are particularly well suited for discussed applications. Our architecture may pave the way to ubiquitous Earth orbital networks and fast-transit low-cost missions across the solar system.