In theory you can launch humans magnetically if you have a really long acceleration track, though I don’t think “gun” is really a very good description of such a facility since it’s more like a maglev (or hyperloop style vacuum tube train) that gradually rises miles into the air with one end open. Technically possible, but given the costs and difficulty with getting a tall enough structure I’d be fairly skeptical that China actually intends to seriously build one.
That was actually the best idea because a long enough length and curve means you can use less acceleration each second. One problem is that to keep it low, like say 3Gs, both the length and curve are huge. Like hundreds of miles. Second is the exit - how high would you have to built it to not open the vacuum tube (it has to be a vacuum to work, i.e. the issues that Hyperloop ran into) and be slamming the projectile with a deceleration effect into the thin air that’s left? The numbers have been crunched before, mass drivers on Earth can’t deliver breakable things.
Also, that curve would be additional Gs and a lot of technical problems to maintain its path.
Thats what I was thinking of, you still have to deal with building a hugely tall structure though, because the exit must be above the thickest part of the atmosphere
In theory you can launch humans magnetically if you have a really long acceleration track, though I don’t think “gun” is really a very good description of such a facility since it’s more like a maglev (or hyperloop style vacuum tube train) that gradually rises miles into the air with one end open. Technically possible, but given the costs and difficulty with getting a tall enough structure I’d be fairly skeptical that China actually intends to seriously build one.
Wouldn’t have to go straight up, could go along the ground then have a long sweep that turns up
That was actually the best idea because a long enough length and curve means you can use less acceleration each second. One problem is that to keep it low, like say 3Gs, both the length and curve are huge. Like hundreds of miles. Second is the exit - how high would you have to built it to not open the vacuum tube (it has to be a vacuum to work, i.e. the issues that Hyperloop ran into) and be slamming the projectile with a deceleration effect into the thin air that’s left? The numbers have been crunched before, mass drivers on Earth can’t deliver breakable things.
Also, that curve would be additional Gs and a lot of technical problems to maintain its path.
Thats what I was thinking of, you still have to deal with building a hugely tall structure though, because the exit must be above the thickest part of the atmosphere
Most or all of it. To be at orbital velocity the projectile would be moving at 30 km/s. Even a small amount of gases would be a like a brick wall.
Hugely tall and extremely rigid, because if it wobbles while the projectile is moving through it, it will tear itself apart.