Contact us
 |
[email protected] |
 |
3275638434 |
 |
 |
| Paper Publishing WeChat |
Useful Links
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Rocket Propulsion Powered Using a Gyrotron
Author(s)
Masafumi Fukunari1, Kimiya Komurasaki2, Yusuke Nakamura3, Yasuhisa Oda4 and Keishi Sakamoto4
Full-Text PDF
XML 2122 Views
DOI:10.17265/1934-8975/2017.06.001
Affiliation(s)
1. Research Center for Development of Far-Infrared Region, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-8507, Japan
2. Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
3. Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
4. National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Naka, Ibaraki 311-0193, Japan
ABSTRACT
This paper presents a review of a beamed energy propulsion
rocket, the Microwave Rocket, which produces propulsive thrust from millimeter-wave
beams transferred from the ground. The thrust is generated through millimeter-wave
discharge driven in a cylindrical thruster. As a high-power millimeter-wave generator,
a Gyrotron is promising as the beam source. The salient benefit of Microwave Rockets
is the resultant drastic cost reduction of mass transportation into space. We have
already conducted launch experiments and have achieved continuous thrust generation
under multi-pulse operation. Recently, a long-distance beam transfer system has
been developed. Ignition tests have been conducted. The physics of the millimeter-wave
discharge remain unclear. Additional studies using experimentation and calculations
must be conducted to optimize the thrust generation.
KEYWORDS
Beamed energy propulsion, microwave discharge, wireless power transfer, gyrotron.
Cite this paper
References