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zyklon

Junior Member
Registered Member
Chemical lasers(What will likely be used, as solid lasers are basically capped at a few hundred kW right now) don't actually require energy to power the laser itself as it relies on chemical reaction to power the beam but require a very complex system of support equipment(pumps to cycle reactants which are usually gaseous or in liquid form) and cooling equipment to carry away the heat from the reaction. Which is why Polyus weighed 80 tons and was only a prototype of a prototype which was no where near full functionality.

That sounds like swapping out one can of worms (power) for a whole other can of worms (plumbing and cooling).
 

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Sounds like DEW programs aren't as far along as their proponents make them out to be.

Is the issue here the physical footprint of the requisite cooling systems, or something else?

It is a big problem in space where the near vacuum condition means that you can only remove heat via radiation. You will need to dump heat through very large radiators.
 

Steven D

New Member
Registered Member
The mysterious container based MRL system we saw in
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.

Inspired by the naming of another very successful MRL, I'd like to call it Nein Mobility Artillery Rocket System, so NIMAS.

Or maybe No Mobility Strategic Launcher i.e. NMSL idk.

P.S. Can someone do the world a favor and shotdown that Marine one, pls?


1749735651179.jpeg
 

Untoldpain

Junior Member
Registered Member
It is a big problem in space where the near vacuum condition means that you can only remove heat via radiation. You will need to dump heat through very large radiators.

It is really difficult to get rid of waste heat in the vacuum of space.

Case and point. The ISS generates between 84-120kW of electrical energy routinely, waste heat had to be dissipated with multiple radiators similar in size to the massive solar panels. A megawatt class laser in space will have heat problems several orders of magnitude beyond what currently exists.
 

zyklon

Junior Member
Registered Member
It is a big problem in space where the near vacuum condition means that you can only remove heat via radiation. You will need to dump heat through very large radiators.

It is really difficult to get rid of waste heat in the vacuum of space.

Case and point. The ISS generates between 84-120kW of electrical energy routinely, waste heat had to be dissipated with multiple radiators similar in size to the massive solar panels. A megawatt class laser in space will have heat problems several orders of magnitude beyond what currently exists.

So if a company developing DEW technology claims that their IP can be scaled to engage cruise and ballistic missiles, and is "platform agnostic" (so long as the mission platform can support their claimed power requirements), then should they be assumed to be a total scam, to have failed to add an *asterisk to exclude space based platforms, or would such IP be technically feasible for a DEW that isn't a chemical laser?
 
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