A Conceptual Framework for Distributed Beamed-Energy Spaceflight Infrastructure

This paper presents a speculative but physically grounded framework for spacecraft propulsion based on externally supplied beamed energy rather than onboard primary energy storage. It explores a distributed network of laser stations that accelerate spacecraft through photon momentum transfer, reframing high-velocity space travel as an infrastructure and coordination problem rather than a vehicle-centric one. The work does not claim faster-than-light travel or near-term feasibility. Instead, it formalizes a conceptual architecture consistent with known physical laws and is intended to provoke thoughtful reconsideration of how advanced spaceflight might be structured at a civilization scale.