Development of a Novel Launch System Microwave Rocket Powered by Millimeter-Wave Discharge

Abstract EN

This paper presents the state of art of Microwave Rocket development and related researches on atmospheric discharge in a high-power millimeter-wave beam.

Its operational mechanisms, thruster design, history of development, and flight path and cost analyses are introduced along with millimeter-wave discharge observations and numerical simulations.

A thruster model of 126 g weight with no on-board propellant was launched to 1.2 m altitude using a 1 MW class gyrotron.

A flight analysis that shows 77% cost reduction is possible using Microwave Rocket as the first stage of H-IIB heavy.

A millimeter-wave discharge with unique plasma structure such as a quarter-wavelength microstructure and a comb-shaped filamentary structure was observed and reproduced by a two-dimensional numerical model.