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JUMBO JETS FIGHT BACK: With planes like this taking flight, can the deathray dogfights of science fiction really be that far behind?

Seriously, though, the high-power laser technology being developed for this program has potential application in space exploration. In the near term, a space-based or (better yet) moon-based laser could be used to give a “free” extra boost to solar-sail-driven probes, cutting flight times and increasing the useful mass of the craft. A similar approach could be used to reboost Earth-Mars cycler craft as they pass by, reducing the demands on their onboard propulsion systems. Of course, these applications would require a laser that could fire continuously over fairly long periods, something which (if memory serves) the missile defense lasers are not designed/able to do (yet).