5 ms·
I had this thought, why not build a small rifled tube with an explosive charge and bullet like projectile. The projectile has a rocket motor too. Get the cann
by mothsonasloth 7y ago
I had this thought, why not build a small rifled tube with an explosive charge and bullet like projectile.
The projectile has a rocket motor too.
Get the cannon as high as possible with a balloon.
At the limit, the cannon fires the projectile at high velocity. The rocket motor ignites giving the extra velocity.
Do you think it could reach escape velocity?
IANARS (I am not a rocket scientist)
- growlist 7y agoIt's called a Space gun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_gun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_gun You also might be interested in SpinLaunch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpinLaunch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpinLaunch
- brandmeyer 7y agoSatellites contain parts and joints that don't want to see a 10^5 m/s^2 acceleration.
- ravedave5 7y agoProbably not, orbit is mostly about going very very fast sideways rather than being high up.
- makerofspoons 7y agoYou may be interested in Project HARP which investigated such a concept in the 1960s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_HARP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_HARP
- jcims 7y agoYes but its tricky. http://alnaspaceprogram.org/gun.html http://alnaspaceprogram.org/gun.html
- Rebelgecko 7y agoAir launch to orbit has been explored a bit, although mostly by launching from aircraft to get more horizontal velocity— the hardest part of getting to orbit isn't getting high enough, it's going fast enough horizontally that you don't fall down to earth. That's how the Pegasus rocket launches, as well as some rockets currently under development by companies like Virgin and Stratolaunch
- oh_sigh 7y agoThe last guy that tried this was murdered by Sadaam. Most people underestimate the speed required to obtain a reasonable orbit, and the amount of tube required to accelerate an object to that speed.
- opwieurposiu 7y agoHe worked for Saddam, he was murdered by Israel or possibly Iran.
- oh_sigh 7y agointeresting. For what I remember of reading this story many years ago is that he got on the badside of Saddam for not delivering what he promised to deliver. I'll have to reread the story.