About Dr. Claude Phipps

The Author

Dr. Claude Phipps

Dr. Claude R. Phipps is an accomplished physicist and engineer who received a B.S. (1961) and M.S. (1963) in Electrical Engineering from MIT with honors before earning a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics from Stanford University in 1972, where he carried out the university’s first laser–plasma interaction experiment using Thomson scattering. He began his career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory working under inertial confinement fusion programs and developing laser diagnostics, then moved to Los Alamos National Laboratory (1974–1995), where he led the Laser Effects program in vacuum and established theoretical models for laser-momentum transfer to materials. In 1995, Dr. Phipps founded Photonic Associates LLC in Santa Fe, New Mexico, spearheading research on laser-driven space propulsion and debris remediation—most notably the ORION and L’ADROIT concepts—and organizing the biennial High-Power Laser Ablation symposia.

He and his team have demonstrated both long- and short-pulse laser plasma thrusters achieving specific impulses from 200 s up to 3 000 s and millinewton-to-newton-level thrust. Dr. Phipps holds key patents such as a laser plasma thruster and a rotational-motion sensor insensitive to vibration, and has authored or contributed to over 240 publications, edited seminal volumes on laser ablation, and in 2024 released the definitive reference Laser Propulsion in Space: Fundamentals, Technology, and Future Missions. His work bridges ground-breaking laser physics and transformative space applications, making him a pivotal leader in the field of beam-driven propulsion and space sustainability.

Exclusive Interview with Dr. Claude Phipps

Photonic Associates & Space-Laser Innovations

Laser Space Propulsion

Specialized in laser space propulsion, building a robust database on laser–surface physics over 20+ years.

Photonic Associates LLC

In 1995, founded Photonic Associates LLC in Santa Fe, NM, and currently serves as Managing Partner.

“ORION” and “L’ADROIT”

Invented concepts like “ORION” and “L’ADROIT” for space debris reentry, and co-developed “Just-in-Time Collision Avoidance” in collaboration with CNES.

Holds patents including:

A laser plasma thruster for spacecraft .
A rotational motion sensor independent of translational/vibrational motion.