Abstract
Abstract : A fluid mechanical model is developed to assess the performance in both finite background pressure and vacuum environments of a rocket that is propelled by the absorption of radiant energy from a remotely stationed, repetitively pulsed laser. The model describes the gaseous propellant flow within a conical nozzle that is subjected to a series of point energy depositions at the apex of the cone. An equivalence between conical and parabolic nozzles is discussed for finite background pressure operation. The model predicts laser parameters necessary to achieve high specific impulses, i. e., 600 to 1000 sec. Scaling laws for high thrust - high specific impulse rocket systems are discussed.
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