Laser propulsion air vehicle

I've seen some of this technology and it's awesome!!!! does anyone know of ann aircraft which utilizes this drive other than the air vehicles at Phillips Laboratory in California?

Originally posted by age_ranger
I've seen some of this technology and it's awesome!!!! does anyone know of ann aircraft which utilizes this drive other than the air vehicles at Phillips Laboratory in California?

Do you have pic or a link so we can see?

Of course they don't have it on their website.......here it is.....
www.pr.afrl.af.mil...

I will try to find it.....I know I saw a test for it somewhere when I was there listed on an internet site......could be gone now

Is this related to the Lightcraft, or is this an actual engine built into the ship? Please post more info if you obtain it.

Is this somekind of modified SCRAM(RAM) jet?

[edit on 26-8-2004 by Sigma]

Do you mean this:
www.space.com...
www.daviddarling.info...

That was it exactly and it was'nt...the ones I saw were much larger. There were alot of different shapes. Most were round with a pointy top and concave bottom.......They were placed on a test fixture and blasted into the air and recovered not too far away. It was a very fast, loud popping sound.....a laser was fired into the base propelling it forward. Applications for satellites .........hmmmm For what ? not positioning....too much thrust obtained with one shot of the laser....and for launching from earth into space.........what power source would drive such a laser? I'm not knowledgeable about lasers, but I did work a little with the YAL-1A out at Edwards AFB. Anyway....... Thanks for shedding some light on it...

Originally posted by age_ranger
It was a very fast, loud popping sound..
...a laser was fired into the base propelling it forward.

That soound (and how this works) come from that laser vaporises surface of target which expands generating thrust... like small explosions.

This technology would be much cheaper in sending stuff to orbit than current method basing on chemical rockets. (required electricity wouldn't cost much compared to rocket boosters)