Abstract: The present invention includes a method for a dual-mode propulsion system. During the first mode of operation, intake air is liquefied through a cooling heat exchanger and condenser using a combination of stored liquid hydrogen (LH2) and stored liquid nitrogen (LN2) as coolants. The liquefied air is then separated into separated liquid oxygen (SLO2) and separated liquid nitrogen (SLN2), which may contain molecules of each other or other elements commonly found in air. The stored liquid nitrogen is replaced with SLO2, while the SLN2 is pumped back through the system with the stored nitrogen in a regeneration process. The SLN2, LN2, and LH2 become gaseous as they pass through the condenser and heat exchanger and are burned in the dual mode rocket thrust chamber to produce thrust. In the second mode, the same thrust chamber is operated as a liquid hydrogen-oxygen rocket, where the liquid oxygen is the SLO2 collected during the first mode.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system are provided herein for an electrically assisted chemical oxygen iodine laser. The preferred system, in accordance with the present invention, includes a laser resonator with a laser-active gas mixture of at least excited oxygen and dissociated iodine. A first electrical generator in which a primary flow of at least excited oxygen is electrically generated from a first gas that includes at least ground state oxygen. A second electrical generator in which a secondary flow of at least dissociated iodine atoms is electrically generated from a second gas that includes at least diatomic iodine. The system further includes a means to inject the secondary flow into the primary flow to generate the laser-active gas mixture.