Laser propulsion option

Abstract

The use of laser thrusters with exhaust powers in the 25 MW to 250 MW range can reduce the fuel that would be needed to transport the lunar outpost equipment to low-lunar orbit with a chemical OTV by 57000 Kg to 105000 Kg with no significant penalty in trip time. This would save one or two launches of the heavy-load launch vehicle. Nuclear-electric OTVs would take 40 to 120 times as long to get to the moon and would spend 100 to 1700 times as long in the Van Allen radiation belts as OTVs that have laser thrusters.