'Hypersonic MHD Propulsion System Integration for a Manned Laser-Boosted Transatmospheric Aerospacecraft'

摘要

This paper explores a futuristic vision for low-cost space transportation, one that converts the transatmospheric acceleration path into an extremely long electromagnetic mass-driver, and employs wireless power transfer to the shuttlecraft in flight; the atmosphere is simply used for momentum exchange and reaction mass. This vision can essentially be described as "Highways of Light"-- or "Energy beam highways through the skies." Hence, a Lightcraft is a vehicle that derives its power for flight propulsion from a beam of light..