Scientific Assessment of High-Power Free-Electron Laser Technology (BPA)

Released 12.16.08

Since the late 1960s, the Navy has been conducting research to develop a megawatt-class directed-energy weapon using laser technology. The Navy settled on the free-electron laser (FEL) as the best candidate for naval applications and initiated its FEL program in the mid-1990s. To date, researchers have demonstrated an FEL producing 14 kilowatts (KW) of continuous-wave power of infrared light. The next step proposed by the Navy is to demonstrate and study a 100 KW FEL system to establish the technology needed for scaling to the megawatt level in the infrared wavelength region. To assist in planning its next steps, the Navy has asked the NRC to review the current state of the art and anticipated advances for high-average-power FELs, and to analyze the capabilities, constraints, and trade-offs of the FEL to achieve the goal of a megawatt-class output beam at wavelengths of 1-2 micrometers. Additional steps would be needed to make the FEL into a useable, shipboard defensive weapon. This report describes the state of the art and anticipated advances for high-average-power FEL technology across the FEL community and it provides a detailed assessment of those technologies and challenges for future development.

Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA’s Constellation System (SSB, ASEB)

Released 11.24.08

To begin implementation of the Vision for Space Exploration (recently renamed “United States Space Exploration Policy”), NASA has begun development of new launch vehicles and a human-carrying spacecraft that are collectively called the Constellation System.  In November 2007, NASA asked the NRC to evaluate the potential for the Constellation System to enable new space science opportunities.  For the interim report—released in May—11 existing “Vision Mission” concepts inspired by earlier NASA forward-looking studies were evaluated.  For this final report, the NRC evaluated six additional mission concepts submitted in response to a request for information issued by the study committee to the relevant communities and prepared an integrated list of all the missions that were evaluated.  This report also provides analyses of technology requirements for future space missions, and of human and robotic servicing and launch vehicle and spacecraft options for future space science missions.

Review of the Research Program of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership: Second Report (BEES)

Released 03.19.08

The FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership is a collaborative effort among theDepartment of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), and five major energy companies to manage research that will enable the vision of “a clean and sustainable transportation energy future.”  It envisions a transition from more efficient internal combustion engines (ICEs), to advanced ICE hybrid electric vehicles, and to enabling a private-sector decision by 2015 on hydrogen-fueled vehicle development.  At the request of DOE, the NRC has undertaken an effort to provide biennial reviews of the progress of the research program.  Phase I of that review was described in a report issued in 2005.  This second report presents an assessment of the progress in the research program management areas as well as the responses of program management to recommendations provided in the Phase I report.  Covered in this second report are major crosscutting issues; vehicle subsystems; hydrogen production, delivery, and dispensing; and an overall assessment of the program.