Launches Using Mass Drivers?

Cook

Banned
There is the alternative to building a Mass Driver up front; build a sled track and use a rocket sled as a first stage to boost rockets. Getting a rocket from 0 kms to Mach 1 takes something close to half the fuel consumed in a launch. If instead that’s delivered by a rocket sled, (replaced by a maglev sled when the technology catches up) you have a distinct advantage. And the track is only about 15km long.
 
There is the alternative to building a Mass Driver up front; build a sled track and use a rocket sled as a first stage to boost rockets. Getting a rocket from 0 kms to Mach 1 takes something close to half the fuel consumed in a launch. If instead that’s delivered by a rocket sled, (replaced by a maglev sled when the technology catches up) you have a distinct advantage. And the track is only about 15km long.

Or even use a vertical mass driver - at 10g, it only takes about 4 seconds and a few hundred metres to get up to Mach 1....
(Vertical makes the issue of loading so much simpler)
 
Interesting. That could work to get people more interested in the technology, and have much less upfront cost. Additionally, it would still reduce the costs of chemical rocket launches significantly.
 

NothingNow

Banned
Interesting. That could work to get people more interested in the technology, and have much less upfront cost. Additionally, it would still reduce the costs of chemical rocket launches significantly.

Except it probably won't and air launching would make more sense. Buckets are cheap because they're simple. A Rocket sled is more complicated and expensive, and might not be as easily recovered.
 
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