Sep 14 2006
In an apparent vote of confidence for development of Photon Thruster Formation Flight (PTFF) Spacecraft in ultra precise formations, the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) awarded a Phase II $400,000 grant to the Bae Institute. This follows a NIAC $75,000 Phase I grant last March that enabled the Bae Institute to research and present the viability of the photon thrusters and tethers to control formations of spacecraft. In Phase II, the Bae Institute will demonstrate the Photon Thruster/Tether (Push/Pull) control and system stability in a vacuum chamber with off-the-shelf components. Photon thrust will be measured and a means of thrust optimization will be demonstrated. This spacecraft control system holds promise for future low cost formations of small spacecraft with magnitudes better sensor capability for both earth based observation and outward-looking space observation applications.
The patent pending (PTFF) system is projected to accomplish formation flying with less than nanometer accuracy. Bae Institute's objective with NIAC Phase II demonstration funds is to convince the space research community to fund a full-scale working PTFF system. According to Dr. Bae, President of the Bae Institute, "Our PTFF system, while innovative, is based on proven models and off-the-shelf technology. This includes the bouncing of laser photons between spacecraft as a low overhead, contaminant-free thrust/control network."
If successful, NASA deployment of dramatically less expensive clusters of micro, nano and pico spacecraft with PTFF will enhance observation resolutions from space a thousand fold, while substantially increasing space mission longevity and options. As a result of PTFF, thrust power requirements for a wide range of spacecraft configurations are well within today's space power budgets. No other propellants are needed, providing mass energy savings, extended spacecraft utility, and contaminant-free operation for missions requiring highly sensitive sensors.
http://www.Baeinstitute.com