Experimental Study of a Laser Micro-Thruster for Precise Attitude Control of Spacecraft

• Project/Area Number: 22656196
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Aerospace engineering
• Research Institution: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
• Principal Investigator: FUNAKI Ikkoh 独立行政法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 准教授 (50311171)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HORISAWA Hideyuki 東海大学, 工学部, 教授 (30256169)
• Research Collaborator: SUMIDA Sota 東海大学, 大学院・工学研究科, 大学院生 ; HAGIWARA Keiji 東海大学, 大学院・工学研究科, 大学院生 ; YONAMINE Hitoshi 東海大学, 大学院・工学研究科, 大学院生 ; OSHIO Yuya 総合研究大学院大学, 大学院生 ; SATO Hiroki 総合研究大学院大学, 大学院生
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2011
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2011)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2010: ¥2,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000)
• Keywords: 航空宇宙工学 / 推進・エンジン / レーザー / マイクロスラスタ

Research Abstract

A laser micro-thruster was experimental investigated in a vacuum chamber. In the experiment, 1-20 W continuous wave laser was irradiated on the thruster, consisting of an aluminum target, and thrust force proportional to the laser input power(0.3～0.8μN/W) was obtained. Because the thrust force depends on the pressure in the vacuum chamber, it is expected that a rarefied jet is formed around the aluminum target as a result of laser irradiation.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Thrust Generation through Low-power Laser-metal Interaction for Space Propulsion Applications (2012)
  • Author(s): H. Horisawa, S. Sumida, H. Yonamine, and I. Funaki
  • Journal Title: Vacuum
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Forward Plasma Emission through Laser-foil Interaction with Nanosecond Lasers (2011)
  • Author(s): Hideyuki Horisawa, Shigeru Yamaguchi, Ikkoh Funaki
  • Journal Title: Applied Physics A Volume: Volume 104, Issue 3 Issue: 3 Pages: 935-940
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00339-011-6442-9
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Low-Power Laser-Metal Interaction for Space Propulsion Applications (2010)
  • Author(s): H. Horisawa, S. Sumida, and I. Funaki
  • Journal Title: AIP Conference Proceedings Volume: Vol.1278 Pages: 184-190
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.3507103
• [Journal Article] Thrust Generation with Low-Power Continuous-Wave Laser and Aluminum Foil Interaction (2010)
  • Author(s): H. Horisawa, S. Sumida, and I. Funaki
  • Journal Title: AIP Conference Proceedings Volume: Vol.1230 Pages: 168-175
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.3435433
• [Journal Article] Low power laser metal interaction for space propulsion applications (2010)
  • Author(s): Horisawa, H., Sumida, S., Funaki, I.
  • Journal Title: AIP Conference Proceedings Volume: Vol.1278 Pages: 184-190
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Thrust generation with low power continuous wave laser and aluminumfoil interaction (2010)
  • Author(s): Horisawa, H., Sumida, S., Funaki, I.
  • Journal Title: AIP Conference Proceedings Volume: Vol.1230 Pages: 168-175
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Experimental Investigation of μN-class Laser Ablation Thruster (2009)
  • Author(s): S. Sumida, H. Horisawa, and I. Funaki
  • Journal Title: TRANSACTIONS OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES, SPACE TECHNOLOGY JAPAN Volume: 7 Issue: ists26 Pages: Pb_159-Pb_162
  • DOI: 10.2322/tstj.7.Pb_159
  • NAID: 130000259574
  • ISSN: 1347-3840
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 微小推力測定システムの開発 (2011)
  • Author(s): 萩原啓司,與那嶺仁,大塩祐哉,佐藤博紀,堀澤秀之,船木一幸
  • Organizer: 日本航空宇宙学会第42期年会講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京
  • Year and Date: 2011-04-14
• [Presentation] Experimental Investigation on CW Laser Microthruster (2011)
  • Author(s): H. Yonamine, K. Hagiwara, H. Horisawa, Y. Oshio, H. Satou, and I. Funaki
  • Organizer: 32nd International Electric Propulsion Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Wiesbaden, Germany
• [Presentation] Control of Thrust Measurement System for CW Laser Thrusters (2011)
  • Author(s): K. Hagiwara, H. Yonamine, H. Horisawa, Y. Oshio, H. Sato and I. Funaki
  • Organizer: 32nd International Electric Propulsion Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Wiesbaden, Germany
• [Presentation] Experimental Investigation on CW Laser Microthruster (2011)
  • Author(s): Yonamine, H., Hagiwara, K., Horisawa, H., Oshio, Y., Satou, H., Funaki, I.
  • Organizer: 32nd International Electric Propulsion Conference, IEPC-2011-320
  • Place of Presentation: ヴィースバーデン(ドイツ)
• [Presentation] Control of Thrust Measurement System for CW Laser Thrusters (2011)
  • Author(s): Keiji Hagiwara, Hitoshi Yonamine, Hideyuki Horisawa, Yuya Oshio, Hiroki Sato, Ikkoh Funaki
  • Organizer: 32nd International Electric Propulsion Conference, IEPC-2011-320
  • Place of Presentation: ヴィースバーデン(ドイツ)
• [Presentation] 微小推力測定システムの開発 (2011)
  • Author(s): 萩原啓司, 與那嶺仁, 大塩裕也, 佐藤博紀, 堀澤秀之, 船木一幸
  • Organizer: 社団法人日本航空宇宙学会第42期年会講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京大学山上会館(東京都)
• [Presentation] Force generation through low power laser metal interaction (2010)
  • Author(s): Hideyuki Horisawa, Ikkoh Funaki
  • Organizer: 7th International Conference on Photo-Excited Processes and Applications
  • Place of Presentation: Copenhagen, Denmark
• [Presentation] 微小推力測定装置の開発 (2010)
  • Author(s): 與那嶺仁, 堀澤秀之, 船木一幸
  • Organizer: 第54回宇宙科学技術連合講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 静岡
• [Presentation] 低強度連続波レーザ推進機 (2010)
  • Author(s): 與那嶺仁, 大塩裕哉, 佐藤博紀, 船木一幸, 堀澤秀之
  • Organizer: 第42回日本航空宇宙学会年会講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京