"BillK" <bill@wkidston.freeserve.co.uk> writes:
> This 'mass driver' type machine only fires pellets at present and seems to
> be intended as a weapon. But it can fire projectiles faster than escape
> velocity with relatively gentle acceleration, so, if they increase the
> projectile size big enough to be containers, why not use it to resupply
> space stations? Lots of small containers soon equal the payload of a
> resupply rocket.
This has been studied, and I think there are some fairly detailled
plans for how massdrives could be used made up by NASA and others.
The problem is of course atmospheric drag and friction. Ideally you
would like to have a nearly evacuated tube for the cargos to rise in.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 09:59:39 MDT