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NASA Engineers Propose a Rail Gun/Scramjet to Fire Spacecraft Into Orbit
- iwwr 16y ago"unlike other rocket-less plans for space entry, each relevant technology is advanced enough that tests could take place in 10 years" Meaning a decades-long hellishly-expensive program. Compare that to the light-gas gun, which is a proven concept and works with current technology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_HARP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_HARP A startup working on the concept: http://quicklaunchinc.com/ http://quicklaunchinc.com/ According to the Quicklaunch people, a completed cannon should cost in the vicinity of $400M.
- rbanffy 16y agoThe comments make me die a little... Curving the rail straight up? Building an Orion? What was done to high-school Physics teachers?