Laser-powered Aircraft

[Big John]

---------News Release----------

NASA RESEARCH TEAM SUCCESSFULLY FLIES FIRST LASER-POWERED AIRCRAFT

9 October 2003

Release 03-54


Ever since the dawn of powered fl;ight, it has been necessary for all
aircraft to carry fuel on board, whether in the form of batteries,
fuel, solar cells, or even human "engine", in order to stay aloft.

A team of researchers from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, AL, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, CA
and the U of Alabama in Huntsville is trying to change that.

They have now chalked up a major accomplishment, and a "first". The
team has developed and demonstrated a small-scale aircraft that flies
solely by means of propulsive power delivered by an invisible,
ground-based laser. The laser tracks the aircraft in flight, directing
its energy beam at specially designated photovoltaic cells carried on
board to power the plane's propeller.

"The craft could keep flying as long as the energy source, in this
case the laser beam, is uninterrupted," said Robert Burdine,
Marshall's laser project manager to develop new technologies that will
enable new capabilities in flight, and "we think this is a start in
the right direction."

The plane, with a five -foot wingspan, weighs only 11 Oz and is
constructed from balsa wood and carbon fiber tubing covered with Mylar
film. Designed and built at NASA Dryden, the aircraft is a
one-of-a-kind, radio controlled model airplane. A special panel of
photovoltaic cells, selected and tested by team participants at the U
of Alabama in Huntsville, is designed to efficiently convert the
energy from the laser wavelength into electricity to power a small
electric motor that spins the propeller.

The lightweight, low-speed plane was flown indoors at the marshall
center to prevent wind and Wx fro effecting the test flights.

After te4h craft was released from a launching platform inside the
building, the laser beam was aimed at the airplane's panels, causing
the propeller to spin and propel the craft around the building, lap
after lap. When the laser beam was turned off, the airplane glided to
a landing.

The team made a similar series of demonstration flights in 2002 at
NASA Dryden, using a theatrical searchlight as the power source. The
recent flights at the marshall center are the first known
demonstration of an aircraft flying totally powered by a ground-based
laser. The demonstration is as key step toward the capability to beam
power to a plane aloft. Without the need for on board fuel or
batteries, such a plane could carry scientific or communication
equipment, for instance, and stay in flight indefinitely. The concept
offers potential commercial value to the remote sensing and
telecommunications industries, according to Bushman.

Laser power beaming is a promising technology for future development
of aircraft design and operations. The concept supports NASA's
mission-critical goals for the deve;lopment of revolutionary aerospace
technologies


end


How long before they scale this technology up to man carrying size?


Big John

[Morgans]

"Big John" > wrote in message
...
> ---------News Release----------
>
> NASA RESEARCH TEAM SUCCESSFULLY FLIES FIRST LASER-POWERED AIRCRAFT
>
> 9 October 2003
>
> Release 03-54
>
>
> Ever since the dawn of powered fl;ight, it has been necessary for all
> aircraft to carry fuel on board, whether in the form of batteries,
> fuel, solar cells, or even human "engine", in order to stay aloft.
>
> A team of researchers from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
> Huntsville, AL, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, CA
> and the U of Alabama in Huntsville is trying to change that.
>
> They have now chalked up a major accomplishment, and a "first". The
> team has developed and demonstrated a small-scale aircraft that flies
> solely by means of propulsive power delivered by an invisible,
> ground-based laser. The laser tracks the aircraft in flight, directing
> its energy beam at specially designated photovoltaic cells carried on
> board to power the plane's propeller.
>
snip
> Laser power beaming is a promising technology for future development
> of aircraft design and operations. The concept supports NASA's
> mission-critical goals for the deve;lopment of revolutionary aerospace
> technologies
>
>
> end
>
>
> How long before they scale this technology up to man carrying size?
>
>
> Big John

Seems to me, the goal of this program and a man carrying craft a greatly
different. A laser craft as demonstrated here, is designed to circle one
area, and provide recon. or relay signals. A man carrying craft wants to go
somewhere, and take it away from the power source.

Ground support would be a huge issue. Also, what happens when a bird or
another airplane strays into a beam powerful enough to keep a large airplane
in the air? Vaporize part of it? Blind the pilot?
--
Jim in NC

[Eric Miller]

"Morgans" > wrote
> Also, what happens when a bird or
> another airplane strays into a beam powerful enough to keep a large
airplane
> in the air?

And more importantly, how difficult would it be to stray into the beam :p

Eric "feeling mischievous this morning"

[Ron Wanttaja]

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 03:36:12 -0400, "Morgans" >
wrote:

>Seems to me, the goal of this program and a man carrying craft a greatly
>different. A laser craft as demonstrated here, is designed to circle one
>area, and provide recon. or relay signals. A man carrying craft wants to go
>somewhere, and take it away from the power source.

Years ago, I read a science fiction story where everybody carried their own
personal telephone with them wherever they went. I remember thinking,
"Geeze, that's impossible...they'd have to put up radio stations
everywhere!" Yet, now, I can put a wallet-sized phone in my pocket and
ride from Seattle to Los Angeles, taking and receiving calls practically
all the way.

All it takes is infrastructure...and if the money is there, the
infrastructure will be built.

>Ground support would be a huge issue. Also, what happens when a bird or
>another airplane strays into a beam powerful enough to keep a large airplane
>in the air? Vaporize part of it? Blind the pilot?

More importantly from the operational point of view, what do you do on
foggy or cloudy days? Many of the problems are solvable, but we still are
unable to overcome the weather.

What you'd more likely see is something along the lines of ships during the
early days of steam. They installed the boilers and paddlewheels, but kept
the masts, yards, and sails. They'd shut down the motor when the wind was
fair, conserving coal.

The planes would have to include some sort of conventional powerplant to
ensure they could takeoff and land IFR, but they might include the
alternate plant for use in cruise.

Conceivably, the laser stations could be space-based. An IR laser at the
right frequencies would be absorbed by the atmosphere if it missed the
target and not affect things on the ground...though the urge to write your
name on mountain snowbanks might be irresistible. :-)

Ron Wanttaja

[Richard Riley]

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 16:57:31 GMT, Ron Wanttaja >
wrote:

:On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 03:36:12 -0400, "Morgans" >
:wrote:
:
:>Seems to me, the goal of this program and a man carrying craft a greatly
:>different. A laser craft as demonstrated here, is designed to circle one
:>area, and provide recon. or relay signals. A man carrying craft wants to go
:>somewhere, and take it away from the power source.
:
:Years ago, I read a science fiction story where everybody carried their own
:personal telephone with them wherever they went. I remember thinking,
:"Geeze, that's impossible...they'd have to put up radio stations
:everywhere!" Yet, now, I can put a wallet-sized phone in my pocket and
:ride from Seattle to Los Angeles, taking and receiving calls practically
:all the way.

I had that reaction when I read "When Gravity Fails" by the late
George Alec Effinger about '88. I bought into skull sockets for data
and personality chips, 10 minute sex-change operations and the like.
But when the hero unclipped the telephone from his belt, I put it
down. I didn't pick it up again for a couple of years - and by that
time I had my own cell phone.

[Big John]

To all

News release posting was just to inform the RAH group of the success
achieved to date.


Can anyone remember when the transisiteer was first developed and
everyone said what are you going to do with it.

NASA has made some progress but they have a long way to go before it
will replace current power sources.

So, an interesting bit of trivia for the group to file on the back
shelf right now.

Big John


On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 01:36:22 -0500, Big John >
wrote:

>---------News Release----------
>
>NASA RESEARCH TEAM SUCCESSFULLY FLIES FIRST LASER-POWERED AIRCRAFT
>
>9 October 2003
>
>Release 03-54
>
>
>Ever since the dawn of powered fl;ight, it has been necessary for all
>aircraft to carry fuel on board, whether in the form of batteries,
>fuel, solar cells, or even human "engine", in order to stay aloft.
>
>A team of researchers from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
>Huntsville, AL, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, CA
>and the U of Alabama in Huntsville is trying to change that.
>
>They have now chalked up a major accomplishment, and a "first". The
>team has developed and demonstrated a small-scale aircraft that flies
>solely by means of propulsive power delivered by an invisible,
>ground-based laser. The laser tracks the aircraft in flight, directing
>its energy beam at specially designated photovoltaic cells carried on
>board to power the plane's propeller.
>
>"The craft could keep flying as long as the energy source, in this
>case the laser beam, is uninterrupted," said Robert Burdine,
>Marshall's laser project manager to develop new technologies that will
>enable new capabilities in flight, and "we think this is a start in
>the right direction."
>
>The plane, with a five -foot wingspan, weighs only 11 Oz and is
>constructed from balsa wood and carbon fiber tubing covered with Mylar
>film. Designed and built at NASA Dryden, the aircraft is a
>one-of-a-kind, radio controlled model airplane. A special panel of
>photovoltaic cells, selected and tested by team participants at the U
>of Alabama in Huntsville, is designed to efficiently convert the
>energy from the laser wavelength into electricity to power a small
>electric motor that spins the propeller.
>
>The lightweight, low-speed plane was flown indoors at the marshall
>center to prevent wind and Wx fro effecting the test flights.
>
>After te4h craft was released from a launching platform inside the
>building, the laser beam was aimed at the airplane's panels, causing
>the propeller to spin and propel the craft around the building, lap
>after lap. When the laser beam was turned off, the airplane glided to
>a landing.
>
>The team made a similar series of demonstration flights in 2002 at
>NASA Dryden, using a theatrical searchlight as the power source. The
>recent flights at the marshall center are the first known
>demonstration of an aircraft flying totally powered by a ground-based
>laser. The demonstration is as key step toward the capability to beam
>power to a plane aloft. Without the need for on board fuel or
>batteries, such a plane could carry scientific or communication
>equipment, for instance, and stay in flight indefinitely. The concept
>offers potential commercial value to the remote sensing and
>telecommunications industries, according to Bushman.
>
>Laser power beaming is a promising technology for future development
>of aircraft design and operations. The concept supports NASA's
>mission-critical goals for the deve;lopment of revolutionary aerospace
>technologies
>
>
>end
>
>
>How long before they scale this technology up to man carrying size?
>
>
>Big John

[Mike Weller]

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 16:57:31 GMT, Ron Wanttaja >
wrote:

>...though the urge to write your
>name on mountain snowbanks might be irresistible. :-)
>
>Ron Wanttaja

"The bad news is that it was written in Hillary's hand writing."

sorry, old joke

Mike Weller

[Tim Ward]

"Richard Riley" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 16:57:31 GMT, Ron Wanttaja >
> wrote:
>
> :On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 03:36:12 -0400, "Morgans" >
> :wrote:
> :
> :>Seems to me, the goal of this program and a man carrying craft a greatly
> :>different. A laser craft as demonstrated here, is designed to circle
one
> :>area, and provide recon. or relay signals. A man carrying craft wants
to go
> :>somewhere, and take it away from the power source.
> :
> :Years ago, I read a science fiction story where everybody carried their
own
> :personal telephone with them wherever they went. I remember thinking,
> :"Geeze, that's impossible...they'd have to put up radio stations
> :everywhere!" Yet, now, I can put a wallet-sized phone in my pocket and
> :ride from Seattle to Los Angeles, taking and receiving calls practically
> :all the way.
>
> I had that reaction when I read "When Gravity Fails" by the late
> George Alec Effinger about '88. I bought into skull sockets for data
> and personality chips, 10 minute sex-change operations and the like.
> But when the hero unclipped the telephone from his belt, I put it
> down. I didn't pick it up again for a couple of years - and by that
> time I had my own cell phone.

"Between Planets", Robert A. Heinlein, 1951
The main character answers the phone on horseback in the eighth paragraph.

Tim Ward

[Model Flyer]

"Big John" > wrote in message
...
> To all
>
> News release posting was just to inform the RAH group of the
success
> achieved to date.
>
>
> Can anyone remember when the transisiteer was first developed and
> everyone said what are you going to do with it.
>

I think it was around 1945, way before I was born. That time the
computer could heat a whole office block with the power they
consumed, had less performance than your quartz watch.
--

..
--
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe
whatever at antispam dot net
No email address given because of spam.
Antispam trap in place


> NASA has made some progress but they have a long way to go before
it
> will replace current power sources.
>
> So, an interesting bit of trivia for the group to file on the back
> shelf right now.
>
> Big John
>
>
> On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 01:36:22 -0500, Big John >
> wrote:
>
> >---------News Release----------
> >
> >NASA RESEARCH TEAM SUCCESSFULLY FLIES FIRST LASER-POWERED AIRCRAFT
> >
> >9 October 2003
> >
> >Release 03-54
> >
> >
> >Ever since the dawn of powered fl;ight, it has been necessary for
all
> >aircraft to carry fuel on board, whether in the form of batteries,
> >fuel, solar cells, or even human "engine", in order to stay aloft.
> >
> >A team of researchers from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
> >Huntsville, AL, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards,
CA
> >and the U of Alabama in Huntsville is trying to change that.
> >
> >They have now chalked up a major accomplishment, and a "first".
The
> >team has developed and demonstrated a small-scale aircraft that
flies
> >solely by means of propulsive power delivered by an invisible,
> >ground-based laser. The laser tracks the aircraft in flight,
directing
> >its energy beam at specially designated photovoltaic cells carried
on
> >board to power the plane's propeller.
> >
> >"The craft could keep flying as long as the energy source, in this
> >case the laser beam, is uninterrupted," said Robert Burdine,
> >Marshall's laser project manager to develop new technologies that
will
> >enable new capabilities in flight, and "we think this is a start
in
> >the right direction."
> >
> >The plane, with a five -foot wingspan, weighs only 11 Oz and is
> >constructed from balsa wood and carbon fiber tubing covered with
Mylar
> >film. Designed and built at NASA Dryden, the aircraft is a
> >one-of-a-kind, radio controlled model airplane. A special panel of
> >photovoltaic cells, selected and tested by team participants at
the U
> >of Alabama in Huntsville, is designed to efficiently convert the
> >energy from the laser wavelength into electricity to power a small
> >electric motor that spins the propeller.
> >
> >The lightweight, low-speed plane was flown indoors at the marshall
> >center to prevent wind and Wx fro effecting the test flights.
> >
> >After te4h craft was released from a launching platform inside the
> >building, the laser beam was aimed at the airplane's panels,
causing
> >the propeller to spin and propel the craft around the building,
lap
> >after lap. When the laser beam was turned off, the airplane glided
to
> >a landing.
> >
> >The team made a similar series of demonstration flights in 2002 at
> >NASA Dryden, using a theatrical searchlight as the power source.
The
> >recent flights at the marshall center are the first known
> >demonstration of an aircraft flying totally powered by a
ground-based
> >laser. The demonstration is as key step toward the capability to
beam
> >power to a plane aloft. Without the need for on board fuel or
> >batteries, such a plane could carry scientific or communication
> >equipment, for instance, and stay in flight indefinitely. The
concept
> >offers potential commercial value to the remote sensing and
> >telecommunications industries, according to Bushman.
> >
> >Laser power beaming is a promising technology for future
development
> >of aircraft design and operations. The concept supports NASA's
> >mission-critical goals for the deve;lopment of revolutionary
aerospace
> >technologies
> >
> >
> >end
> >
> >
> >How long before they scale this technology up to man carrying
size?
> >
> >
> >Big John
>

[Russell Kent]

Ron Wanttaja wrote:

> Conceivably, the laser stations could be space-based. An IR laser at the
> right frequencies would be absorbed by the atmosphere if it missed the
> target and not affect things on the ground...though the urge to write your
> name on mountain snowbanks might be irresistible. :-)

Oy. Lends a whole 'nother spin to "writ large". :-)

Russell Kent

[Rich S.]

"Russell Kent" > wrote in message
...
> Ron Wanttaja wrote:
>
> > Conceivably, the laser stations could be space-based. An IR laser at
the
> > right frequencies would be absorbed by the atmosphere if it missed the
> > target and not affect things on the ground...though the urge to write
your
> > name on mountain snowbanks might be irresistible. :-)
>
> Oy. Lends a whole 'nother spin to "writ large". :-)

Remember Heinlein's "Coca Cola" ad on the Moon?

Rich "They name stadiums for insurance companies, don't they?" S.