2 ms·

Fascinating. Would a mass driver be easier to build to launch from Mars? (Eg for mining applications or similar)

• skykooler 10y ago
  Yes, at least compared to Earth; orbital speeds are about half that of Earth, so a mass driver would only need to be a quarter of the length (because length climbs with target speed squared). Additionally, the far thinner atmosphere would allow vehicles to lose far less energy to aerodynamic forces.
  • wrsh07 10y ago
    It seems like regardless of ultimate outcome, then, musk (or humanity) wins because we are researching tech that will be super useful on Mars.
  • walrus01 10y ago
    You could also run a mass driver up the side of Olympus Mons, which is a very gentle slope yet is so tall its peak is above 90%+ of the martian atmosphere.