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Successful Test of Beamed-Energy Space Launch Thruster
"Escape Dynamics’ recent tests demonstrated a full sequence of operation of an externally-powered propulsion system. Energy was drawn from the electric grid, converted into microwaves using a gyrotron, guided through a system of beam shaping mirrors, and beamed from an antenna to a thruster. Conversion of the microwave energy into thrust was performed using a thermal thruster with a highly efficient microwave-absorbing heat exchanger. The heat exchanger was designed to capture more than 90% of the incoming microwave energy and heat the propellant flowing through it towards the nozzle."
http://escapedynamics.com/beyondcombustion/
PRESS RELEASE (July 17, 2015)
Propulsion Technology Win: Successful Test Results of the World’s First Combustion Free, Externally-Powered, Space Launch Thruster
BROOMFIELD, CO – Escape Dynamics, Inc. announced successful tests of their thruster powered by beamed high power microwave energy, with performance greatly surpassing the limit of chemical combustion rockets. Specific Impulse (or Isp) is a measure of rocket or jet engine efficiency, much like miles-per-gallon for cars. While chemical rockets top out at around 460 seconds Isp, static thrust tests conducted in the company’s lab in Colorado using helium demonstrated an Isp above 500 seconds. Had hydrogen been used instead of helium, the specific impulse achieved would have been above the 600 seconds threshold required for single-stage-to-orbit operations of a launch vehicle, which is not possible with chemical rockets.
“Our recent tests are a major step forward in the continued advancement of our externally-powered high Isp thruster and validation of our efforts to change the manner of orbital launches” commented Richard F. Schaden, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Escape Dynamics. Dr. Dmitriy Tseliakhovich, CEO/CTO indicated “We, for the first time, conclusively demonstrated that a new propulsion technology that goes beyond chemical rockets and that can be used for orbital launch works on a lab scale, and we are confident that we can take it to multi-megawatt scales and eventually introduce it into single-stage-to-orbit spaceplanes that will change the way we reach orbit.”
<snip>
Escape Dynamics’ recent tests demonstrated a full sequence of operation of an externally-powered propulsion system. Energy was drawn from the electric grid, converted into microwaves using a gyrotron, guided through a system of beam shaping mirrors, and beamed from an antenna to a thruster. Conversion of the microwave energy into thrust was performed using a thermal thruster with a highly efficient microwave-absorbing heat exchanger. The heat exchanger was designed to capture more than 90% of the incoming microwave energy and heat the propellant flowing through it towards the nozzle.
<snip>
PRESS RELEASE (July 17, 2015)
Propulsion Technology Win: Successful Test Results of the World’s First Combustion Free, Externally-Powered, Space Launch Thruster
BROOMFIELD, CO – Escape Dynamics, Inc. announced successful tests of their thruster powered by beamed high power microwave energy, with performance greatly surpassing the limit of chemical combustion rockets. Specific Impulse (or Isp) is a measure of rocket or jet engine efficiency, much like miles-per-gallon for cars. While chemical rockets top out at around 460 seconds Isp, static thrust tests conducted in the company’s lab in Colorado using helium demonstrated an Isp above 500 seconds. Had hydrogen been used instead of helium, the specific impulse achieved would have been above the 600 seconds threshold required for single-stage-to-orbit operations of a launch vehicle, which is not possible with chemical rockets.
“Our recent tests are a major step forward in the continued advancement of our externally-powered high Isp thruster and validation of our efforts to change the manner of orbital launches” commented Richard F. Schaden, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Escape Dynamics. Dr. Dmitriy Tseliakhovich, CEO/CTO indicated “We, for the first time, conclusively demonstrated that a new propulsion technology that goes beyond chemical rockets and that can be used for orbital launch works on a lab scale, and we are confident that we can take it to multi-megawatt scales and eventually introduce it into single-stage-to-orbit spaceplanes that will change the way we reach orbit.”
<snip>
Escape Dynamics’ recent tests demonstrated a full sequence of operation of an externally-powered propulsion system. Energy was drawn from the electric grid, converted into microwaves using a gyrotron, guided through a system of beam shaping mirrors, and beamed from an antenna to a thruster. Conversion of the microwave energy into thrust was performed using a thermal thruster with a highly efficient microwave-absorbing heat exchanger. The heat exchanger was designed to capture more than 90% of the incoming microwave energy and heat the propellant flowing through it towards the nozzle.
<snip>
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
This article, just published a few days ago, is based on an interview last year:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/doina-oncel/how-one-woman-is-democrat_b_7844884.html
How One Woman Is Democratizing the Final Frontier
Posted: 07/22/2015
<snip>
"The co-founder and president of Escape Dynamic, Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux is a true role model of business leadership in science & technology. Escape Dynamics is building an electromagnetically-powered space launch system that will enable reusable single-stage-to-orbit spaceplanes, and plans to reduce costs of access to space by 100x for small payloads. They will do this by abandoning the path that all chemical rockets have used for the last 50 years, and instead will beam energy wirelessly to the rocket from ground to space," says Azam Shaghaghi, the President of Space Tourism Society of Canada, who had the rare opportunity to sit down with Laetitia during the International Space Development Conference 2014.
<snip>
As we discussed Escape Dynamics' roadmap, Laetitia mentioned the exciting news that the company is planning to demonstrate the most powerful orbital engine ever developed by the end of the 2015 or early in 2016 - one with specific impulse over 700 seconds. She also went on to explain that the reason such level of specific impulse is so meaningful is that it enables fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit operations, and that chemical rockets on the other hand are limited to a specific impulse of approximately 450 seconds which is too low for single-stage-to orbit operations. With their single-stage-to-orbit operations, Escape Dynamics expects to bring the cost to orbit for payloads up to 200kg from $50,000/kg today down to $150/kg at high flight rates, a 100x decrease in launch costs.
When asked about why the technology was now ready for primetime, Laetitia noted that the idea of using wireless energy transmission for orbital launches was first described almost 100 years ago by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky -- the same man who gave us the Rocket Equation. However, we needed many technology advancements to come to pass including in battery storage technology, also from the particle accelerator industry the Marx modulator, and separately advances in ceramic matrix composites. It is fascinating in fact how the Escape Dynamics team has leveraged some of these innovations, and been a key contributor to creating new breakthroughs required for microwave-powered propulsion to become a viable solution. Examples include their design and patent for a grid-tie in battery storage system also capable of discharging high voltage DC power at a rapid discharge rate in a bank of high power microwave sources. Another important innovation from the Escape Dynamics team is a water-jacketed radome which captures side-lobes, allowing for the first time safe wireless energy transfer using high power microwave sources.
Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux left her terrestrial finance career to launch into a game-changing technology career hoping to bring a much needed revolution in the aerospace industry, following the inspiration she took from her grandfather, French planetary geologist Andre de Cayeux (dit "Cailleux"
after whom a crater is named on the Moon.
<snip>
How One Woman Is Democratizing the Final Frontier
Posted: 07/22/2015
<snip>
"The co-founder and president of Escape Dynamic, Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux is a true role model of business leadership in science & technology. Escape Dynamics is building an electromagnetically-powered space launch system that will enable reusable single-stage-to-orbit spaceplanes, and plans to reduce costs of access to space by 100x for small payloads. They will do this by abandoning the path that all chemical rockets have used for the last 50 years, and instead will beam energy wirelessly to the rocket from ground to space," says Azam Shaghaghi, the President of Space Tourism Society of Canada, who had the rare opportunity to sit down with Laetitia during the International Space Development Conference 2014.
<snip>
As we discussed Escape Dynamics' roadmap, Laetitia mentioned the exciting news that the company is planning to demonstrate the most powerful orbital engine ever developed by the end of the 2015 or early in 2016 - one with specific impulse over 700 seconds. She also went on to explain that the reason such level of specific impulse is so meaningful is that it enables fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit operations, and that chemical rockets on the other hand are limited to a specific impulse of approximately 450 seconds which is too low for single-stage-to orbit operations. With their single-stage-to-orbit operations, Escape Dynamics expects to bring the cost to orbit for payloads up to 200kg from $50,000/kg today down to $150/kg at high flight rates, a 100x decrease in launch costs.
When asked about why the technology was now ready for primetime, Laetitia noted that the idea of using wireless energy transmission for orbital launches was first described almost 100 years ago by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky -- the same man who gave us the Rocket Equation. However, we needed many technology advancements to come to pass including in battery storage technology, also from the particle accelerator industry the Marx modulator, and separately advances in ceramic matrix composites. It is fascinating in fact how the Escape Dynamics team has leveraged some of these innovations, and been a key contributor to creating new breakthroughs required for microwave-powered propulsion to become a viable solution. Examples include their design and patent for a grid-tie in battery storage system also capable of discharging high voltage DC power at a rapid discharge rate in a bank of high power microwave sources. Another important innovation from the Escape Dynamics team is a water-jacketed radome which captures side-lobes, allowing for the first time safe wireless energy transfer using high power microwave sources.
Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux left her terrestrial finance career to launch into a game-changing technology career hoping to bring a much needed revolution in the aerospace industry, following the inspiration she took from her grandfather, French planetary geologist Andre de Cayeux (dit "Cailleux"
after whom a crater is named on the Moon.
<snip>
