Reactor-pumped laser facility at DOE`s Nevada Test Site
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Nuclear Systems Research Dept.
The Nevada Test Site (NTS) is one excellent possibility for a laser power beaming site. It is in the low latitudes of the US, is in an exceptionally cloud-free area of the southwest, is already an area of restricted access (which enhances safety considerations), and possesses a highly-skilled technical team with extensive engineering and research capabilities from underground testing of their nation`s nuclear deterrence. The average availability of cloud-free clear line of site to a given point in space is about 84%. With a beaming angle of {+-}60{degree} from the zenith, about 52 geostationary-orbit (GEO) satellites could be accessed continuously from NTS. In addition, the site would provide an average view factor of about 10% for orbital transfer from low earth orbit to GEO. One of the major candidates for a long-duration, high-power laser is a reactor-pumped laser being developed by DOE. The extensive nuclear expertise at NTS makes this site a prime candidate for utilizing the capabilities of a reactor pumped laser for power beaming. The site then could be used for many dual-use roles such as industrial material processing research, defense testing, and removing space debris.
- OSTI ID:
- 51887
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940142--; ISBN 0-8194-1414-X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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