Abstract
The micro-laser plasma thruster (μLPT) is a new micropropulsion device that uses laser ablation to create very small thrusts (0.1–100 μN) for pointing and positioning micro- and nano-satellites. In this paper, we discuss the expected performance of the μLPT. For a ms-pulse device, target materials are restricted to those of low thermal conductivity, e.g. polymers. Volume ablation theory adequately describes their behavior. In a ns-pulse version, exhaust velocity can be an order of magnitude higher with correspondingly lower thrust-to-power ratio. The theory for surface absorbers describes the observed behavior.
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