Momentum Transfer by Laser Ablation of Irregularly Shaped Space Debris — mentioned by eyko

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 11:08:59 GMT

It depends on the angle at which you hit the debris with the laser, as well as the shape of the debris. The idea is, generally, to hit the debris at an angle as it approaches you (bottom front of you may)[1]. Depending on the shape of the object as well as the material of the surface, you'll be able to transfer enough momentum to actually slow it down as well as nudge it further (loss of mass?) out into a new orbit with a low enough perigee. It's obviously not easy to predict the new orbit because debris comes in very different shapes, and of many different materials. Also, because there's a…

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Momentum Transfer by Laser Ablation of Irregularly Shaped Space Debris · HackerPapers discussions

Momentum Transfer by Laser Ablation of Irregularly Shaped Space Debris — mentioned by eyko