Inventors:
Rachel Leach - LITTLETON CO, US
Gerald Murphy - Conifer CO, US
Thomas Adams - Littleton CO, US
International Classification:
B64G 1/40, F02K 9/68
Abstract:
A hybrid electric-laser propulsion (HELP) thruster. A propellant has self-regenerative surface morphology. A laser ablates the propellant to create an ionized exhaust plasma that is non-interfering with a trajectory path of expelled ions. An electromagnetic field generator generates an electromagnetic field that defines a thrust vector for the exhaust plasma. Multiple HELP thrusters may be ganged together, and controlled, according to mission criteria.