HARP launches satellite

Gerald Bull still had a few months to go before being able to demonstrate an orbital launch from HARP, when the entire project was shut down by Canadians:mad::mad::mad: (I’m not joking). What if he had been able to launch a projectile into orbit, just before he was going to be shut down:D?
 
Gerald Bull still had a few months to go before being able to demonstrate an orbital launch from HARP, when the entire project was shut down by Canadians:mad::mad::mad: (I’m not joking). What if he had been able to launch a projectile into orbit, just before he was going to be shut down:D?
He was not permitted to put a projectile to orbit so he would have been tried and fined for it
 
The US military was already involved and should have picked up the program on its own regardless of Canada's opinion on it. Gerald Bull would have jumped at the chance to continue working on his dream project so the US just has to be willing to fit the bill.
 
He had already successfully fired a projectile into the stratosphere from a double-length 16 inch gun under US auspices; HARP would just have been a continuation of that.

Using that for satellite launches would be problematic, though; the G-forces involved would wreak havoc with any but the sturdiest of projectiles. There's a reason we use rockets; the G-forces are kept to a manageable level.
 
He had already successfully fired a projectile into the stratosphere from a double-length 16 inch gun under US auspices; HARP would just have been a continuation of that.

Using that for satellite launches would be problematic, though; the G-forces involved would wreak havoc with any but the sturdiest of projectiles. There's a reason we use rockets; the G-forces are kept to a manageable level.

But if you could get a tough enough satellite it would be a Hell of a lot cheaper to just shoot it.
 
From what I've read gun launching satellites is actually possible. But even without that imagine launching water and other perishables cheaply.
 
well, he might have then actually got the eye of the U.S. military

The US military was already involved and was funding the project along with the Canadians.

When it began to appear that Bull's political enemies in Canada were going to be successful in cutting off Canadian support, the US Army went so far as to create a test site at the Yuma proving grounds so that they could take over the entire project. However when Canada pulled the plug, the US DoD used that as an excuse to also pull the plug.
 
The US military was already involved and was funding the project along with the Canadians.

When it began to appear that Bull's political enemies in Canada were going to be successful in cutting off Canadian support, the US Army went so far as to create a test site at the Yuma proving grounds so that they could take over the entire project. However when Canada pulled the plug, the US DoD used that as an excuse to also pull the plug.

hmmm...but what if the DoD didn't?
 
We would have a lot better artillery than OTL in terms of range and accuracy at a minimum

Not so; our modern artillery incorporates some of his improvements. For those countries which did adopt his ideas, such as South Africa with their G5 and G6 guns, they do get a longer range weapon (as much as 50% more) but at a larger cost for both gun and ammunition.
 
Top