地基激光器发射微卫星的方案设计与弹道优化计算

1引言随着高功率激光技术的发展,用地基激光器发射近地轨道卫星将成为可能。上世纪90年代初Hum-bleW E和Pierson B L提出用一台地基300 MW的CO2激光器把初始质量为1 900 kg的飞行器发射到近地轨道1]。飞行器的弹道在初始段有一向后运动的“后摆”段。这种弹道可以充分利用激光

Conceptual design of system and trajectory optimization for ground-based laser propulsion

Ground based laser propulsion system is studied intensively in recent years.The specific impulse,momentum coupling coefficient,lightcraft's horizontal distance from the laser platform is of great importance for launching systems.Myrabo's Lightcraft may be a convenient vehicle for launching micro-satellite to LEO.A 20 MW pulsed laser under the invariableness of specific impulse is employed to launch a lightcraft with 100 kg initial mass to 200 km circular orbit,the lightcraft's trajectory is computed.In another case the lightcraft is launched from ground using only ablative propulsion mode.Based on the assumptions such as the surface of the earth is flat and the specific impulse is constant,the simplified form of the equations of motion of lightcraft can be obtained.Then,the sequential quadratic programming is used to numerically solve the maximum payload-to-orbit optimal control problem.The result shows that using two propulsion modes can obtain larger payload ratio,and the maximum payload-to-orbit can be up to 35.5kg.