Laser-powered Aircraft

---------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