It's microwave? Maybe it needs slightly less accurate pointing, at the expense of lower energy efficiency? You can deliver more power with a big, big phased array than a single laser could handle without burning out? (Multiple lasers could produce uneven heating?) It sound as though it absorbing the microwaves internally, instead of on the surface?

Not sure if any of these are true, or if they would be useful, but that's what I can come up with.

On Jul 23, 2015 2:31 PM, "Anthony Jackson" <ajackson@iii.com> wrote:

I can’t tell what’s distinctive about this. Laser-propelled rockets have been in testing for years. I assume there’s something there, perhaps it’s the measured 500 Isp?

 

From: tml-manager@simplelists.com [mailto:tml-manager@simplelists.com] On Behalf Of Jeffrey Schwartz
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 10:04 AM
To: tml <tml@simplelists.com>
Subject: [TML] Captain, the USS AMANA is in radar range

 

http://www.rfglobalnet.com/doc/successful-test-results-of-the-world%e2%80%99s-first-combustion-free-externally-powered-space-0001?sectionCode=News&templateCode=SponsorHeader&user=2156936&source=nl:43492&utm_source=et_6214342&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RFG_2015-07-23&utm_term=142DCBB3-697C-4CEE-982D-C4C569D3D4E7&utm_content=Test%2bSuccessful%253a%2bFirst%2bCombustion%2bFree%252c%2bExternally-Powered%252c%2bSpace%2bLaunch%2bThruster

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