This paper presents some results on the air-breathing propulsion experiments with a parabolic light craft and a self-made UV-preionized TEA CO 2 laser with 115 J maximum pulse energy. In wire-guided vertical flight experiment, impulsecoupling coefficient 390 N/MW is obtained at the pulse energy 60 J. The influence of the shape of the lightcraft and the laser pulse profile on the coupling coefficient was discussed. The spectrum of the plasma was detected using monochromator, and the time evolvement process of line spectrum of the plasma was analyzed.