- #1
udtsith
- 54
- 1
I know magnetic launch tracks on the side of mountains has been proposed before but what if...
you vacuum the inside of the launch track on the side of the mountain and extend the tube up from about 5K meters to 30K meters? The tube on the side of the mountain would be made of a strong metal but the tube that isn't supported would be something like kevlar film. The tube that goes beyond the mountain wouldn't be responsible for accelerating anything or even supporting the launch vehicle. The only purpose of the tube beyond the mountain would be to keep the vacuum so that the launch vehicle isn't slowed (much) by air friction. At 30K meters the atmosphere is about 5% at the surface. If it could go to 50K the atmosphere is only 1% of surface. Before a launch any air that seeped in from the sides of the kevlar would be vacuumed out to match the opening pressure at 30K/50K meters. The launch vehicle would then leave the top of the mountain at escape velocity or...it would carry an additional booster that is also accelerated...or a tunnel could be dug into the Earth to extend the launch track if needed.
The advantage of having this 'floating tube' beyond the top of the mountain would be so that the launch craft doesn't have to face or smash into the atmosphere. And it would be a lot easier to support a tube that goes to just 30K meters than one that goes all the way to space
you vacuum the inside of the launch track on the side of the mountain and extend the tube up from about 5K meters to 30K meters? The tube on the side of the mountain would be made of a strong metal but the tube that isn't supported would be something like kevlar film. The tube that goes beyond the mountain wouldn't be responsible for accelerating anything or even supporting the launch vehicle. The only purpose of the tube beyond the mountain would be to keep the vacuum so that the launch vehicle isn't slowed (much) by air friction. At 30K meters the atmosphere is about 5% at the surface. If it could go to 50K the atmosphere is only 1% of surface. Before a launch any air that seeped in from the sides of the kevlar would be vacuumed out to match the opening pressure at 30K/50K meters. The launch vehicle would then leave the top of the mountain at escape velocity or...it would carry an additional booster that is also accelerated...or a tunnel could be dug into the Earth to extend the launch track if needed.
The advantage of having this 'floating tube' beyond the top of the mountain would be so that the launch craft doesn't have to face or smash into the atmosphere. And it would be a lot easier to support a tube that goes to just 30K meters than one that goes all the way to space