Ten Times Faster Solar System Exploration With Laser Accelerated Micro Pellets
by Brian Wang from NextBigFuture.com on (#6GD7D)
A near term laser ablation of micropellets can be made to rapidly accelerate one ton space probes to reach Pluto in one year. The NASA New Horizons launched in 2006 took 9.5 years to reach Pluto and weighed a little less half of a ton. A ten megawatt laser system in geosynchronous could accelerate a ...