Free-flight and tracking experiments of a multi-parabola laser propulsion vehicle

A free-flight experiment involving a multi-parabola laser propulsion vehicle was conducted using repetitive laser pulses at a repetition frequency of 50 Hz and an energy of 4.93 J per pulse. Observations made with a camera indicated that the vehicle achieved a maximum altitude of 110 mm; however, it deviated from the laser beam line due to initial misalignment of the laser setup. To improve flight stability, we developed a tracking system to monitor the vehicle's motion and control the laser irradiation position. Performance requirements were assessed based on the free-flight experiment data, revealing that the vehicle attained a maximum translational speed of 0.08 m/s before deviation occurred. Our tracking system was evaluated to have a trackable speed of 0.09 m/s, meeting the performance requirements for free flight and capable of stabilizing the repetitive pulse flight of a laser propulsion vehicle.