Potential of laser-induced ablation for future space applications

Abstract

This version is available at https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/42491/ Strathprints is designed to allow users to access the research output of the University of Strathclyde. Unless otherwise explicitly stated on the manuscript, Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Please check the manuscript for details of any other licences that may have been applied. You may not engage in further distribution of the material for any profitmaking activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute both the url (https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/) and the content of this paper for research or private study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge.Any correspondence concerning this service should be sent to the abstract This paper surveys recent and current advancements of laser-induced ablation technology for spacebased applications and discusses ways of bringing such applications to fruition. Laser ablation is achieved by illuminating a given material with a laser light source. The high surface power densities provided by the laser enable the illuminated material to sublimate and ablate. Possible applications include the deflection of Near Earth Objects e asteroids and comets e from an Earth-impacting event, the vaporisation of space structures and debris, the mineral and material extraction of asteroids and/or as an energy source for future propulsion systems. This paper will discuss each application and the technological advancements that are required to make laser-induced ablation a practical process for use within the space arena. Particular improvements include the efficiency of high power lasers, the collimation of the laser beam (including beam quality) and the power conversion process. These key technological improvements are seen as strategic and merit greater political and commercial support.

Deflecting Small Asteroids using Laser Ablation: Deep Space Navigation and Asteroid Orbit Control for LightTouch2 Mission

“…The impact sensor gives the necessary information on the mass flow and velocity of the ejecta acting on the direction normal to the surface facing the plume. The contribution of the plume is not negligible in particular when the spacecraft flights in the radial configuration, where the surface affected by the plume is about 8m 2 . In this case the relative acceleration from the plume accounts for more than 50% of the acceleration from the dragging force.…”

Diode lasers: From laboratory to industry

“…De-orbiting the space debris, power transmission, deflection of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), long-range wireless communications and LIDAR for sensing applications and remote Earth observations are few of such examples. The choice and deployment of laser is primarily reliant on the overriding factors of cost, complexity and critically on the efficiency of both laser system and the method utilized for lightmatter interaction [115]. In the world′s largest space research exploration center, NASA, the space-borne laser missions are dominated by Q-switched laser systems pumped by quasicontinuous wave (QCW) laser diode arrays (LDAs).…”

“…DPSSL transmitter technology has improved many folds since the time of its first demonstration in 1968 [123]. Diode laser-pumped solid state and fiber lasers are desirable to achieve laser-based ablation for space applications due to their attributes of compactness, increased output power and efficiency [115]. Troupak et al [123] discussed the experiences of using diode pump technology in space LIDAR missions and space-flight missions by NASA in the book on semiconductor laser diode technology.…”

A comparative study on the characteristics of nanosecond laser ablation zinc and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene targets

“…Moreover, it can realize an adjustable impulse from nN•s to N•s [6]. As a result, laser propulsion is more favored in numerous aerospace engineering aspects of launching objects into low Earth orbit, attitude control or orbit adjustment of satellites, and space debris removal [7][8][9][10][11]. In general, laser propulsion can be divided into air-breathing mode [12] and ablation mode [13] according to various propellants.…”