most of the energy used by a flying thing is used going up, if that is provided at ground level the thing will have a far greater range or loiter time for delivery or mil grade drones
for packages that are for low orbit it would mean not having tons rocket and fuel to launch a few kilos of load.
lab scale i recon it might be workable, the engineering of the big un might be a bit extreme but the concept is registered.
i did not find the g forces on a thing intended for low earth orbit but that might limit the type of package owt over ten is a bit moody for humans and delicate stuff. , strong things,food n water and fuel etc for orbiting stuff it seems ideal
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 6612 Location: New England (In the US of A)
Posted: Sat Feb 15, 20 11:10 am Post subject:
What about Kepler effect (syndrome? Whatever it's called when satellites keep breaking up and their debris starts a chain reaction and eventually our planet is surrounded by so much space trash that we can't successfully launch anything part the atmosphere)
this might be ideal for launching grabbers to collect bits so it could be a good thing if folk will pay the refuse collectors.
the fill space with an ever increasing number of bits of junk is going to be a major issue without rules on "fly tipping" etc and trying to collect as many bits as possible.
although trying to catch a lot of tiny bits going at 20000mph might be a long job.
Slim
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 6612 Location: New England (In the US of A)
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 20 1:54 am Post subject:
I was wondering if the technique might increase the chance of whatever projectile knocking into a satellite already in orbit and sending shrapnel out to start the chain reaction
If that thing is supposed to launch from the water rather than from free air they are also going to have to overcome the surface tension effect. Interesting idea, but not sure if it will work. At speeds of 50-100 knots for the ship, it is going to need a lot of sea with no other vessels in it too. Still I am an engineer, not an inventor, so have been the idiot trying to get things that are not goers to work too often, so tend to be a realist/pessimist, depending on your point of view.
I wasn't quite sure what the superconductor bit was about. It all seems a bit weird. Sometimes the weird ones work, sometimes they cost a lot of money and fail spectacularly, and sometimes there are useful spin offs. Being a simple minded soul, I always find the simpler the better.
if the tail end had some sort of release mechanism, like gliders do, and a lifter such as a big electric drone thingy to lift the cable and packages once the boat is up to speed, it could then be released during the whip part of the process.
That is possibly the idea. If they ever build one it will be interesting to see how it works; if it does. It will be very expensive whether it works or not.
Shan
Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 9075 Location: South Wales
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 20 12:58 pm Post subject:
I vote we test it with Boris Johnson and Trump being launched.
Shane
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 3467 Location: Doha. Is hot.
Posted: Wed Feb 19, 20 5:38 am Post subject:
Would bring a whole new meaning to the term "crash test dummies"
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