SPACE APPLICATIONS OF THE SOLAR PUMPED LASER

FIVE MILITARY SPACE LASER APPLICATIONS, LOCAL AND GLOBAL WIND MAPPING, ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY MEASUREMENTS, AIR AND SPACE BORNE OBJECT ID AND SURVEILLANCE, SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERSATELLITE POWER RELAY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. THESE APPLICATIONS ALL REQUIRE 100 TO 1000 WATTS OF CONTINUOUS LASER POWER. THE ONLY PRACTICAL WAY TO ORBIT LASER RESOURCES OF THIS HIGH POWER IS THE SOLAR PUMPED LASER (SPL) WHICH CONVERT SUNLIGHT TO HIGH QUALITY LASER RADIATION AT 10% TO 15% EFFICIENCY, MORE THAN 10 TIMES THE EFFICIENCY OF CONVENTIONAL ELECTRIC LASERS. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM GOAL IS TO TRANSITION THE SPL FROM THE LABORATORY TO SPACE APPLICATION.