Shooting laser bullets could be the key to space travel and further advancement

Time is money, even when it comes to travel to space. However, modern mechanisms aircraft engine not ready to send us outside the solar system. The possibility of doing this with lasers has been explored. However, despite everything that this tool offers us, the mechanism has some limitations. However, a very interesting alternative has now been presented, with which a kind of tiny, ultra-fast bulletsthat push the spacecraft to its destination.

Sounds like science fiction, but a group of scientists from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is already exploring the possibility of doing so. According to them, in this way they will be able to launch to the edge of the solar system. one tonne spacecraft in just 20 years. This is very little, considering that with the current methods of movement, it would take between 19,000 and 81,000 years. Too much for someone to be ready to take over from those who started it.

The proposal is so interesting that it was chosen by NASA in 2023 in its program. Innovative advanced concepts. with him more $175,000 in the form of grants, so the project, despite being ambitious, has a good starting budget.

Modern ways of space travel

Travel in space, outside the solar system, has a large limitation based on the so-called rocket equation. explained it UniverseToday one of those responsible for this project, Artur Davoyan:

“All modern spacecraft and rockets fly by propellant expansion. The faster the fuel is dumped, the more effective the rocket. However, the amount of fuel we can take on board is limited. As a result, the speed to which the spacecraft can be accelerated is limited. This fundamental limit is dictated by the rocket equation.

Artur Davoyan is an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Limiting so much rocket speed, space travel becomes a problem when the distances are too great. In addition, if the load on the spacecraft is very high, this speed must be further reduced. With all this, space exploration is focused primarily on the solar system.

Currently, the ships that have gone furthest are Voyager 1 and 2. However, this is only 159 and 132 a.u. from the sun. It’s a lot, but not that much heliopausewhich is located at a distance of 500 AU. and marks the boundary between the solar system and interstellar space.

Nuclear engine pushing a spaceship

In recent years, attempts have been made to solve this problem with nuclear propulsion. It can be of two types.

One side, thermal nuclear propulsion it is based on using a nuclear reactor to power a spacecraft. In this case, the heat from the decay reactions of uranium and deuterium is used to heat liquid hydrogen. Thus, it passes into a gaseous state and is directed through a nozzle to create thrust.

On the other hand, with electric nuclear propulsion system the same reactor is used, but the heat is used to produce electrical energy, which feeds the engine responsible for traction.

Several space agencies have launched first experiments in this direction. However, this is a poor option for space travel outside the solar system.

Artur Davoyan/University of California

Super high-speed bullets for space flight

To solve all of the above problems, scientists began to study the option of traveling into space using laser beams. They could push the spacecraft with radiation pressure so no fuel would be needed. In this way, it was possible to achieve speeds close to the speed of light. However, there is a problem because lasers diverge over long distances.

So even if you could get a faster spaceship, you still wouldn’t be able to use that speed to move further.

To solve this problem, Davoyan’s team proposes keep using laser beamsbut add path of small bulletswho will be responsible for the promotion of the spacecraft. These bullets would be very small pellets thatand will be accelerated to very high speeds by laser ablation. That is, a laser would be used to heat them up so that they would absorb so much energy that the material would eventually turn straight into a gas. This will create momentum that will push the spacecraft forward.

These bullets heavier than photons from a conventional laser beam, so you get more acceleration. In addition, they do not diverge with increasing distance, so it was possible to travel in space outside the solar system. And another big advantage is that more cargo can be transported. Other concept designs have been on the order of grams or a few kilograms, while they talk about powering a one-ton spacecraft.

Logically, there is still much to be explored, but this could be a revolutionary tool in the space race. We have already seen how to travel faster, now it remains to travel farther. Much, much further.