Toward directed energy planetary defense

Philip Lubin; Gary B. Hughes; Jacob J. Bible; Jesse Bublitz; Joshua Arriola; Caio Motta; Jon Suen; Isabella Johansson; Jordan Riley; Nilou Sarvian; Deborah Clayton-Warwick; Jane Wu; Andrew Milich; Mitch Oleson; Mark Pryor; Peter Krogen; Miikka Kangas; Hugh O’Neill

doi:10.1117/1.OE.53.2.025103

18 February 2014 Toward directed energy planetary defense

Philip Lubin, Gary B. Hughes, Jacob J. Bible, Jesse Bublitz, Joshua Arriola, Caio Motta, Jon Suen, Isabella Johansson, Jordan Riley, Nilou Sarvian, Deborah Clayton-Warwick, Jane Wu, Andrew Milich, Mitch Oleson, Mark Pryor, Peter Krogen, Miikka Kangas, Hugh O’Neill

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 53, Issue 2, 025103 (February 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.53.2.025103

Abstract

Asteroids and comets that cross Earth’s orbit pose a credible risk of impact, with potentially severe disturbances to Earth and society. We propose an orbital planetary defense system capable of heating the surface of potentially hazardous objects to the vaporization point as a feasible approach to impact risk mitigation. We call the system DE-STAR, for Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and exploRation. The DE-STAR is a modular-phased array of kilowatt class lasers powered by photovoltaic’s. Modular design allows for incremental development, minimizing risk, and allowing for technological codevelopment. An orbiting structure would be developed in stages. The main objective of the DE-STAR is to use focused directed energy to raise the surface spot temperature to ∼3000 K, sufficient to vaporize all known substances. Ejection of evaporated material creates a large reaction force that would alter an asteroid’s orbit. The baseline system is a DE-STAR 3 or 4 (1- to 10-km array) depending on the degree of protection desired. A DE-STAR 4 allows initial engagement beyond 1 AU with a spot temperature sufficient to completely evaporate up to 500-m diameter asteroids in 1 year. Small objects can be diverted with a DE-STAR 2 (100 m) while space debris is vaporized with a DE-STAR 1 (10 m).

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Philip Lubin, Gary B. Hughes, Jacob J. Bible, Jesse Bublitz, Joshua Arriola, Caio Motta, Jon Suen, Isabella Johansson, Jordan Riley, Nilou Sarvian, Deborah Clayton-Warwick, Jane Wu, Andrew Milich, Mitch Oleson, Mark Pryor, Peter Krogen, Miikka Kangas, and Hugh O’Neill "Toward directed energy planetary defense," Optical Engineering 53(2), 025103 (18 February 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.53.2.025103

Received: 15 September 2013; Accepted: 7 January 2014; Published: 18 February 2014

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