An experimental study on high power millimeter wave beam transmission for microwave beaming propulsion

A high-power millimeter-wave (MMW) beam transmission system for microwave beaming propulsion were designed and tested. For quasi-optical beam launcher, a couple of offset parabolic mirrors were applied and large diameter beam was produced for beam transmission. In the thruster, power density of the MMW beam increased to drive the shock wave by MMW plasma using an on-board beam converter. Finally the thruster obtained a straight beam of which power density is high enough for plasma ignition in the thruster after long range transmission. The repetitive pulses were injected to the thruster set on the horizontal sliding guide using 170 GHz high power gyrotron. The thruster was accelerated and traveled on the slider for 3 m distance during the operation. This result indicated that the large MMW beam could provide thrust energy to the moving thruster far from launcher. Microwave beaming propulsion, millimeter wave, gyrotron, beam transmission, thrust.