/sci/ - Science & Math

>>6237807
2/10
always like how people who don't really know what they are talking about love to dismiss mass drivers.


So firstly air resistance increases with speed until you reach the speed of sound, then it paradoxically decreases, so the resistance is not as big as an issue as you may intuitively think. (see picture)

Secondly you can use a regenerative heat shield, pump water in around the leading edges, use exhaust steam as propellent.

Thirdly you don't need all of your energy to come from the mass launcher, you must still use a rocket half way around your first orbit regardless or you'll crash back where you launched from... unless your doing an earth system escape launch or planning a fancy moon hook maneuver. Regardless a small amount of additional propellant will go a long way.

Thirdly you can do a mass driver to a much lower velocity and simplify a ram or scram jet first stage launch architecture by quite a bit.