Laser power beaming - transmitting electric power without wires via laser - has been demonstrated for kilowatt power
levels and kilometer distances. This paper reviews the demonstrated and projected capabilities and limitations of laser
power beaming, and analyzes the requirements for several application areas relevant to defense and security: unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs), communications relays, sensor networks, and field unit or forward base power.
Laser power beaming permits radical improvements in spacecraft performance, and may be superior to nuclear power for some missions, including a lunar base. Recent developments in laser and large-optics technology make a laser power beaming infrastructure for space both more practical and easier to develop. In particular, Diode Pumped Alkali Laser (DPAL) technology appears ideally suited to power beaming at the 0.1 - 1 MW level. This paper discusses a possible architecture for such a power beaming infrastructure using ground-based lasers and geosynchronous relays.
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