Photonic Laser Propulsion

Dr. Bae, a visionary rocket scientist and physicist, is the pioneering force behind the revolutionary Photonic Laser Propulsion (PLP). He has invented transformative systems such as the Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT), Photonic Railway, and Photon Tether Formation Flight (PTFF). Beyond his contributions to PLP, Dr. Bae discovered the Metastable Innershell Molecular State (MIMS), advancing the science of stellar matter crucial for realizing nuclear fusion power. For his Ph.D. in experimental atomic and plasma physics from UC Berkeley, Dr. Bae conducted research on optical diagnostics for magnetic confinement fusion. At SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute), his research focused on self-neutralizing negative ions for particle beams for nuclear fusion and Strategic Defense Initiatives (SDI), leading to the discovery of a self-neutralizing negative ion of the helium molecule. Collaborating with the US Air Force and the late Dr. Forward, he also explored condensing antiprotons for antimatter propulsion. In the late 1980s, seeking a new scientific breakthrough in nuclear fusion power, Dr. Bae began researching transient stellar matter created by ultra-hypervelocity impacts of clusters and large molecules. He expanded this research at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), where his group observed anomalous signals that ultimately led to the discovery of the MIMS, high-energy molecules with binding energies up to 1000 times greater than those of conventional molecules. In 2007, Dr. Bae established Y. K. Bae Corp to advance PLP and MIMS research, collaborating with NASA, Los Alamos National Lab, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the US Air Force, and ATK Mission Research. Recently, he and the Los Alamos team demonstrated hypervelocity helium jets reaching velocities of 90 km/s, surpassing the Russian record. Their research aims to explore transient stellar materials generated by compression under billions of atmospheres pressure with minimal electron heating, unlike traditional laser fusion methods.

• Part I: BACKGROUND1. Introduction2. Surmounting the Fundamental Constraints of the Rocket Equation3. Amplified Radiation PressurePart II: FUNDAMENTALS AND TECHNOLOGY DETAILS4. Fundamentals of Photonic Laser Propulsion5. Quantum Aspect of Photonic Laser PropulsionPart III: APPLICATIONS AND FUTURE MISSIONS6. Photonic Laser Thruster7. Photonic Railway8. The Future