| Jules Verne had discussed briefly a system that | | | | North Koreans have all had underground designs to |
| would allow one to shoot something into space by | | | | catapult weapons from underground tubes. Why not |
| using a tube in the earth. And recently a think tank | | | | modify this technology like in science fiction movies |
| member in an online think tank re-introduced this | | | | and use an accelerator like they do a SLAC or one of |
| concept but added a mag levitation system to | | | | the other particle accelerators to launch into space. In |
| accelerate it in a long tube in a vacuum and then | | | | fact an MIT kid had a neat figure eight track which |
| shoot it into space? | | | | would be able to do this, interesting article perhaps |
| Think tank member Joe calls this a Tubes Launch | | | | you can find it online. |
| System and states; What about a possible new type | | | | I think it was written up in Popular Mechanics or |
| of launch system for a ground launch of a space | | | | Popular Science in the 1980's as well and the rough |
| vehicle, built a mag level rail system in side of a | | | | concept appeared in a Hollywood James Bond Movie |
| vacuum tube long enough to gain high ground speed | | | | too. Launching a Space Shuttle may not work |
| with the exit set at the proper angle to get craft | | | | however, as the astronauts could not survive it but |
| into flight orbit, here again there are many questions, | | | | perhaps it is perfect for certain types of cargo. Of |
| one would be what would happen to the craft when | | | | course even electronics unravel at 18-28 G's. So that |
| it exits the vacuum at a very high speed. One | | | | is a consideration, but if you have enough kinetic |
| benefit would be the craft could carry fuel for | | | | energy and inertia for escape velocity you could |
| reentry only no more free flights with the heat shield | | | | shoot it to the moon base or up high enough for the |
| as only protection, another would be the reduction of | | | | Rendevous with satellites, ISS, or to calculate |
| fuel needs. | | | | perfectly perhaps as a defense weapon or offence if |
| Of course in my idea in the link above I took some | | | | that is your choice? Fun stuff to think about indeed. |
| argumentative statements for it, as you can see. But | | | | So, consider this in 2006. |
| nevertheless; The Germans, Russians and now the | | | | |