Capabilities of an Airborne Laser Energy Transfer System for Space Junk Removal and Spacecraft Orbit Sustaining.

Аuthors

Ashurbeili I. R., Lagovier A. I., Ignatiev A. B., Nazarenko A. V.

Abstract

Use of an airborne laser energy transfer system (LETS) for applications such as space debris removal or low-orbit spacecraft sustaining provides a set of advantages over the ground-based and space-based systems. It is less subject to atmospheric turbulence and absorption influence than ground-based system which leads to a great increase of duration and efficiency of interaction between LETS and target. Also, high mobility of an airborne LETS allows interacting with the multiple targets (or more frequently interact with the single target). In the same time, the performance of an airborne LETS is subject to some additional degradation factors that have to be countered or taken into account. The beam jitter control is especially important for orbit sustaining applications, where the laser spot should be kept within the geometrical limits of an energy receiver. This article formulates and considers principal requirements to an airborne LETS and evaluates its potential capabilities for the two above mentioned applications

Keywords:

lazer, space debris

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