Can you use a railgun to launch spacecraft?
With a rail gun, the spacecraft has its maximum velocity as it leaves the end of the rail gun. After that, the atmosphere slows it down. To be at escape velocity even in low orbit altitudes, it has to launch with an amazingly high initial velocity.
Can a railgun reach space?
According to Space, the electromagnetic railgun peaked at Mach 6, which means six times the speed of sound. If astronauts can station at the moon and mine resources, the said speed is just a fraction “slower” than the escape velocity. Thereafter, the electromagnetic railgun can toss the material into space.
Would a handheld railgun be possible?
Nope. Physics. Projectiles fired from a rail gun small enough to be “handheld” would also be small enough (both in external dimensions and mass) to NOT be able to penetrate any decently armored vehicle. AT BEST, they MIGHT be able to penetrate lighter armored vehicles.
Are railguns practical?
Though railguns hold much promise, it is not clear how long it will take for the Navy to develop and field a practical weapon that can put to use onboard a future warship. Railguns offer the potential for far deeper magazines than is possible with missile tubes.
Is space travel possible without rockets?
A space elevator is a proposed type of space transportation system. Its main component is a ribbon-like cable (also called a tether) anchored to the surface and extending into space above the level of geosynchronous orbit. Vehicles can then climb the tether and reach orbit without the use of rocket propulsion.
Does a Coilgun have recoil?
Therefore, for a coilgun of equivalent power to a railgun, the coilgun’s recoil will hurt more since it is at some points low and at others high… And uneven recoil hurts a lot more than steady smooth force.
Could a railgun be used to launch a vehicle into space?
Railguns can acheive a muzzle velocity of a projectile on the order of 7.5 km/s. The Earth’s escape velocity is 11.2 km/s. It seems to me that a railgun style launch device built into a deep shaft such as an abandoned mine could reasonably launch a vehicle into space.
Can railguns be used as military weapons?
Railgun velocities generally fall within the range of those achievable by two-stage light-gas guns; however, the latter are generally only considered to be suitable for laboratory use, while railguns are judged to offer some potential prospects for development as military weapons.
What is the muzzle velocity of a railgun?
Railguns can acheive a muzzle velocity of a projectile on the order of 7.5 km/s. The Earth’s escape velocity is 11.2 km/s.
Could a rail gun be the next giant leap to the stars?
But now a group of NASA engineers is seriously studying the possibility of using a rail gun as a potential launch system to the stars, and they are looking for a system that turns a host of existing cutting-edge technologies into the next giant leap spaceward.