Self-Guiding Laser and Particle Beam for Lunar Power Transfer

One of NASA's primary challenges in establishing a permanent lunar settlement is power transmission. While long-distance cables and traditional beamed power have been investigated, they have notable limitations. A promising, low TRL technology capable of surmounting the drawbacks of existing solutions is enhanced beamed power through the "self-guiding" effect. The self-guiding effect arises in an overlapping laser beam and neutral particle beam, where the neutral particles act as a flexible fiber- optic cable, and the laser exerts a force to confine the particles. This coupled interaction limits the dispersion of both beams resulting in a more focused delivery over long distances. This technology, in addition to increasing received power density, allows curved laser power beams over the lunar horizon due to gravitational effects on the particle beam, significantly increasing power availability in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) across the moon. The objective of this research is to produce the self-guiding effect and observe its impact on power and momentum transfer. The research approach involves observing this effect in a laboratory setting through a series of systematic experiments. The first phase will involve building and optimizing the neutral particle source and taking a benchmark of key particle beam parameters. The next phase will be the introduction of lasers for particle cooling and for self-guiding, benchmarking laser beam parameters in the absence of the particle beam. The effectiveness of the overall system will be measured through a change in thrust and power density relative to a system without self-guiding. The self-guiding effect studied in the proposed work can enable sustained human operations in isolated and distant parts of the moon, creating a foothold for exploring the rest of the solar system. A more thorough understanding of self-guiding will also inform potential applications in deep-space propulsion and laser communication.

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