Re: Laser as Reactionless Propulsion

Technotranscendence (neptune@mars.superlink.net)
Tue, 20 Apr 1999 17:46:16 -0400 (EDT)

At 03:59 PM 4/20/99 -0400, Ross A. Finlayson <RAF@tomco.net> wrote:
>Does shooting a laser from a laser generator not generate opposite force
>of the beam output?

Yes.

>Do photons from a laser upon impact of a reflective surface cause an
>inertial reaction, no matter how infinitesimal?

Yes. The reaction depends on the energy of the beam.

>If lasers have no "kick" upon firing, and photons from a coherent laser
>do cause an inertial reaction, then lasers could be used as reactionless
>propulsion.

No. They would be a reaction propulsion like other reaction propulsion. They just use light instead of, say, reactive fluids.

Daniel Ust