
The Bonkers Idea to Make a Hyperloop-Style Rocket Launcher - goatmessenger
https://www.inverse.com/article/28339-james-powell-hyperloop-maglev-rocket
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webmaven
Bah. I hope his patent application gets shot down. LINAC/railgun launchers are
an _old_ idea, described in HeinLein's 1966 novel _" The Moon is a Harsh
Mistress"_, for example:
[https://books.google.com/books?id=HtuRSsAb2fEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA...](https://books.google.com/books?id=HtuRSsAb2fEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA248&q=catapult&f=false#v=page)

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grizzles
This isn't bonkers at all. It'll be absolutely necessary if we want to do
anything significant in space at a reasonable cost per kilogram.

For example, if you are an entrepreneur and take on the challenge to build a
robot to mine an asteroid, you can't raise $200M and then fold the company
when you fail on your first attempt.

BTW some NASA engineers came up with this idea awhile ago and called it the
Star Tram. There is a book about it.

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webmaven
Space elevators are a possible alternative, with cargo lift OpEx estimated at
$10/lb. (mostly electricity).

