Laser Applications Towards Space Sustainability and Safety
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2026 | Viewed by 253
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid expansion of space activities, together with the accelerating accumulation of orbital debris, is driving an urgent need for technologies that enhance the safety, resilience, and long-term sustainability of the space environment. Among the most promising solutions are advanced laser-based systems, which offer precise, non-contact, and scalable tools for tracking, managing, and interacting with objects in space. This Special Issue, titled Laser Applications Towards Space Sustainability and Safety, highlights emerging breakthroughs and multidisciplinary research that collectively position laser technologies as key enablers of future sustainable space operations.
Laser-based orbital measurement capabilities are advancing rapidly, with daylight-capable laser ranging and multi-spectral tracking approaches enabling more accurate orbit determination, improved conjunction prediction, and higher precision in debris characterization. Laser momentum transfer is similarly gaining momentum as a viable method for orbital debris remediation. Whether implemented via photon pressure or controlled laser ablation, momentum transfer systems can perform collision avoidance maneuvers or gradually deorbit debris without physical contact, offering a scalable civil infrastructure for improving orbital safety.
Beyond debris mitigation, high-power and high-efficiency laser energy transfer concepts offer new avenues for powering satellites, lunar infrastructures, or autonomous robotic platforms, reducing reliance on massive onboard power systems. Laser-based prospecting is emerging as a critical tool for future in situ resource utilization—enabling remote chemical identification, mineral mapping, and surface modification on planetary bodies such as the Moon or Mars. Complementing these capabilities, laser additive manufacturing in microgravity or on planetary surfaces could accelerate the construction of habitats, optical components, and mechanical structures using in situ materials, significantly lowering launch mass and enabling long-duration missions.
This Special Issue invites contributions spanning fundamental physics, system engineering, materials science, mission design, and policy frameworks that support the responsible deployment of laser technologies in space. Together, these advances illustrate the transformative role that lasers can play in establishing a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable space environment—while unlocking new operational concepts for exploration, communication, manufacturing, and energy delivery in the decades ahead.
Dr. Jan Vanda
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- laser-based systems
- laser technologies
- laser-based orbital measurement
- daylight-capable laser ranging
- laser momentum transfer
- photon pressure
- laser ablation
- high-power laser energy transfer
- high-efficiency laser energy transfer
- laser technologies in space
- space sustainability
- AI image processing
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