[Trailer Trash]

Less fuel = more cool stuff in the sky.

I want my videophone.....

Only I want mine flavored with broadband, and delivered through a LEO pipe.

Happy Easter.

[alnitak]

Interesting, sounds like a microwave version of Leik Myrabo's "lightship" work.

I remember hearing a few years ago about how a microwave version would be better than laser because microwave generators could be scaled up more easily.

[anobjectivist]

I dunno about microwaves, but this has already been done here in the US with lasers instead of microwaves. Same principle, energy fired at a light and mirror-reflective dish, except ours went somewhere around 100 feet up. It had to be stabilized by rotation (they would get it spinning with compressed air right before take off).

I believe the discovery channel had a program on them.

[error99]

"...the development could enable cost and size reductions in rockets as they could use air in the atmosphere as a means of propulsion, rather than having to carry fuel..."
--
Yeah, now that heavy fuel can be replaced by heavy storage batteries.
And, there isn't any 'air' in space to heat up in order to get the propulsive effect.
Just a few of the bugs that need to be worked out, thats all.

[Sam Cree]

Seems like a microwave powerful enough to send up a serious, payload, say one measured in tons rather than grams, might be a serious weapon in its own right.

Kind of along the lines of the laser powered vehicles in "Footfall."

Wonder if microwaves can be used as guidance systems as lasers can. Perhaps they would not be deflected by smoke.

[chilepepper]

Way cool! ...and you can make popcorn with it to boot!

[Lawgvr1955]

I want my air car. I want to fold my car into a briefcase like George Jetson. I want to take a Pan Am rocket to the Moon like 2001. Where is all the cool stuff we were promised in the movies and television. Ya, this internet thing is nice, if unpredicted. Of course, future predictions aren't all that great. For instance, in Star Trek-The Next Generation, they cure all disease (including cancer) with a five minute stay in sick bay. Yet the Captain is still bald like a cue ball. Sotty to hear in the year 2300 they stil haven't found a cure for it.

[JerseyHighlander]

So every time a rocket is launched, there's a chance the ascent to orbit will turn into a multi-multi million dollar skeet shooting misadventure?

Is there a known substance that can withstand the huge forces of concentrated microwaves on the reflector dish of a satellite launch?

[SunkenCiv]

Blast from the Past!