RE: Launch Rails...

From: Billy Brown (bbrown@transcient.com)
Date: Mon Apr 17 2000 - 12:15:06 MDT


Spike Jones wrote:
> At 4 G, I get 13 miles, 51 miles, 115 miles and 204 miles respectively.
>
> At 6 G, I get 8 miles, 34 miles, 76 miles and 136 miles respectively.
>
> Any time Ive worked with rail launchers Ive had to assume they need to
> accelerate like hell going down the rails, no wimpy 4 to 6 G. Otherwise
> the rails are too long. But that shouldnt be that much of a problem:
> we have plenty of rockets today, good sized ones, that can stand
> 30 G longitudinal, and we could go higher if we needed to.

One other problem that needs to be seriously looked at: EMP effects on the
vehicle & cargo during launch. I know rail guns have a strong enough
magnetic flux to be dangerous to people, let alone electronic equipment. A
launch system like this should have a much weaker field, but there might
still be a problem at high rates of acceleration.

Billy Brown
bbrown@transcient.com
http://www.transcient.com



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