Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and ExplorRation
Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and ExplorRation (DE-STAR) is a proposed University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) Experimental Cosmology Group experimental astrophysics group primarily focused on studies of the early universe and astrophysical applications of directed energy. They propose a system to deflect asteroids, comets, and other near-Earth objects (NEO) that pose a credible risk of impact. The objects that cross Earth’s orbit, even relatively small ones, can still have a devastating effect. UCSB group proposes an orbital planetary defense system capable of heating the surface of potentially hazardous objects to the point of vaporization. DE-STAR is a modular phased array of kilowatt class lasers powered by photovoltaics, see directed energy weapon.{{cite web |title=DE-STAR: Directed Energy Planetary Defense |url=http://www.deepspace.ucsb.edu/projects/directed-energy-planetary-defense |website=UCSB Experimental Cosmology Group |publisher=}}{{Cite web |last1=Lubin |first1=Philip |last2=Brashears |first2=Travis |title=Directed Energy Planetary Defense |url=http://iaaweb.org/iaa/Scientific%20Activity/conf/pdc2015/IAA-PDC-15-03-07pr.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305015345/http://iaaweb.org/iaa/Scientific%20Activity/conf/pdc2015/IAA-PDC-15-03-07pr.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-05 |access-date=2016-02-24}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/overview|title=Planetary Defense Coordination Office|work=NASA|date=22 December 2015 }}{{Cite journal |last1=Lubin |first1=Philip |last2=Hughes |first2=Gary B. |last3=Bible |first3=Jacob J. |last4=Bublitz |first4=Jesse |last5=Arriola |first5=Joshua |last6=Motta |first6=Caio |last7=Suen |first7=Jon |last8=Johansson |first8=Isabella |last9=Riley |first9=Jordan |last10=Sarvian |first10=Nilou |last11=Clayton-Warwick |first11=Deborah |display-authors=10 |date=2014-02-18 |title=Toward directed energy planetary defense |url=https://www.deepspace.ucsb.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/SPIE-Optical-Engineering-Towards-Directed-Energy-Planetary-Defense-Lubin-at-al-2014.pdf |journal=Optical Engineering |volume=53 |issue=2 |page=025103 |doi=10.1117/1.OE.53.2.025103 |bibcode=2014OptEn..53b5103L |hdl=1721.1/88427 |s2cid=1426239 |issn=0091-3286}}
The same UCSB Experimental Cosmology group also proposed using the system as a method of propelling small spacecraft to 0.4% of the speed of light.{{Cite book|last1=Bible|first1=J. J.|last2=Johansson|first2=Isabella|last3=Hughes|first3=Gary B.|last4=Lubin|first4=Philip M.|title=Nanophotonics and Macrophotonics for Space Environments VII |chapter=Relativistic propulsion using directed energy |date=2013-09-24|editor-last=Taylor|editor-first=Edward W.|editor2-last=Cardimona|editor2-first=David A.|volume=8876|location=San Diego, United States|publisher=SPIE|pages=38|doi=10.1117/12.2035346|bibcode=2013SPIE.8876E..05B|isbn=9780819497260|s2cid=959135 |chapter-url=https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1035&context=stat_fac}}