On Thu, Jun 7, 2018 at 9:30 AM Henry Vanderbilt <hvanderbilt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
On 6/7/2018 7:16 AM, Craig Fink wrote:point the lasers down center-line of a Hydrogen Thruster. Low thrust ISP
correct
On Thu, Jun 7, 2018 at 8:53 AM Henry Vanderbilt
<hvanderbilt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:hvanderbilt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Welcome to Classic Space System Errors 101. This one is called,
optimizing a design around the wrong parameter. Isp is not the
sole figure of merit for a RCS system. (If it was, the perfect RCS
thruster would be a cluster of laser diodes.)
Laser diodes? Were you thinking of using them in flashlight mode, or to
heat something (like Hydrogen)?
Laser diodes (in fact any directional light emitter) produce
ridiculously small amounts of thrust, but at ridiculously high Isp.
But, they would easily extend themselves to a dual mode thruster if you