Jump to content
Join the Alien Search, login or register FREE on Aliens and Space Forum
Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site

Origami-inspired Diffractive Sail for Directed Energy Propulsion

NASA

By NASA
in NASA

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
NASA Mentor

NASA

Posted
  • Publishers
Posted

1 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

ECF 2024 Quadchart Oguri.pdf

Kenshiro Oguri

Purdue University

This project will investigate one of the key fundamental challenges associated with directed-energy light-sailing technology, similar to solar sails but powered by a laser beam pointed at the sail instead of by the sun. The effort will first mathematically model, then design, build, and test a prototype diffractive light sail. The three-dimensional, origami-inspired light sail could potentially unlock higher thrust, passive beam riding stability, and higher maneuverability via its ability to transform its shape.

Back to ECF 2024 Full List

Share

Details

Last Updated
Apr 18, 2025
Editor
Loura Hall

Related Terms

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Similar Topics

    • NASA
      Photophoretic Propulsion Enabling Mesosphere Exploration
      By NASA
      2 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      Artist concept highlighting the novel approach proposed by the 2025 NIAC awarded selection of Photophoretic Propulsion Enabling Mesosphere Exploration concept.NASA/Igor Bargatin Igor Bargatin
      University of Pennsylvania
      We propose to use the photophoretic levitation and propulsion mechanism to create no-moving-parts flying vehicles that can be used to explore Earth’s upper atmosphere. The photophoretic force arises when a solid is heated relative to the ambient gas through illumination, inducing momentum exchange between the solid and the gas. The force creates lift in structures that absorb light on the bottom yet stay cool on the top, and we engineered our plate mechanical metamaterials to maximize this lift force and payload. The levitation and payload capabilities of our plates typically peak at ambient pressures in the 0.1-1000 Pa range, ideal for applications in Earth’s mesosphere and Mars’s low gravity and thin atmosphere. For example, in the Earth’s mesosphere (i.e., at altitudes from ~50 to ~80 km), the air is too thin for conventional airplanes or balloons but too thick for satellites, such that measurements can be performed for only a few minutes at a time during the short flight of a research rocket. However, the range of ambient pressures in the mesosphere (1-100 Pa) is nearly optimal for our plates’ payload capabilities. Phase 2 of the proposal focuses on the scalable fabrication of Knudsen pump structures that will enable missions with kg-scale payloads in the mesosphere as well as trajectory control with 1 m/s velocity control in existing stratospheric balloon vehicles.
      2025 Selections
      Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology


      Share
      Details
      Last Updated May 27, 2025 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms
      NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program NIAC Studies Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC Topics
      Space Technology Mission Directorate
      NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts
      NIAC Funded Studies
      About NIAC
      View the full article
    • European Space Agency
      Next generation scientists set sail to harness space for oceans
      By European Space Agency
      A new wave of ocean scientists has embarked on an extraordinary six-week voyage aboard a majestic tall ship that set sail today from Norway bound for southern France. But this is no ordinary journey.
      Thanks to this ESA Advanced Ocean Training Course, these upcoming researchers will be taking a deep dive into ocean science, empowering them with skills to harness satellite data for research, innovation and sustainable development – and preparing them to become tomorrow’s leaders and ambassadors for ocean science.
      View the full article
    • NASA
      Power on the Dark Side: Stimulus-Responsive Adsorbents for Low-Energy Controlled Storage and Delivery of Low Boiling Fuels to Mobile Assets in Permanently Shaded Regions
      By NASA
      1 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      ECF 2024 Quadchart McGuirk.pdf
      Christopher McGuirk
      Colorado School of Mines
      This project will investigate and develop improved storage methods for the fuels needed to generate electrical power in places where sunlight is not available. The effort will focus on particularly tailored materials called Metal Oxide Frameworks, or MOFs, that can be used to store methane and oxygen. The methane and oxygen can be reacted in a solid oxide fuel cell to generate electricity, and storing them in a MOF could potentially result in significant mass and cost savings over traditional storage tanks which also require active pressure and thermal regulation. The team will use a number of computational and experimental tools to develop a MOF structure suitable for this application.
      Back to ECF 2024 Full List
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 18, 2025 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms
      Early Career Faculty (ECF) Space Technology Research Grants View the full article
    • NASA
      Stabilized Z-Pinch Fusion Driven Electromagnetic Propulsion
      By NASA
      1 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      ECF 2024 Quadchart Underwood.pdf
      Thomas Underwood
      University of Texas, Austin
      This project will demonstrate a fusion propulsion system based on z-pinch which is a method of compressing plasma by running electrical current though it. The z-pinch will compress and heat the plasma to produce fusion reactions, and the system will be paired with an electromagnetic accelerator to produce thrust from these reactions. The effort intends to design, build, and test a prototype device and use computational modeling to evaluate the potential performance of larger systems which would be suitable for powering deep-space missions.
      Back to ECF 2024 Full List
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 18, 2025 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms
      Early Career Faculty (ECF) Space Technology Research Grants View the full article
    • NASA
      Concept Demonstration of Directed Energy Propulsion with Metasurface Lightsails
      By NASA
      1 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      ECF 2024 Quadchart Ilic.pdf
      Ognjen Ilic
      University of Minnesota
      This effort will aim to demonstrate the feasibility of directed-energy propulsion through a combination of computational simulations and prototype testing. The project will model the interactions between lightsail material and a laser beam that can be pointed at the sail to propel the spacecraft. The results of the modeling will be used to fabricate an optimized sail for testing with a 30W laser. A successful demonstration would pave the way for ultrafast spaceflight within and beyond the solar system.
      Back to ECF 2024 Full List
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 18, 2025 EditorLoura Hall Related Terms
      Early Career Faculty (ECF) Space Technology Research Grants View the full article

  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...