Science Fiction

898 readers

1 users here now

This magazine is aimed at fans and creators of sci-fi and related media of all kinds. It includes all content related to the sci-fi genre and only content related to the sci-fi genre. The goal is to build a community for everyone who enjoys science fiction and related topics. This includes the obvious books, movies, and TV shows, but also original writing, the discussion of writing SF, futuristic art and designs, and the science and technologies that inspire the sci-fi genre. **Team Top 20**

founded 1 year ago

China is building a railgun that can hurl crewed spacecraft into orbit (newatlas.com)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

17 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Rockets being passé, China is working on using an electromagnetic railgun to launch crewed spacecraft the size of a Boeing 737, weighing 50 tonnes, into orbit. This remarkably ambitious project is even more ambitious than it seems at first glance.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Make it a circular rail with an off-ramp; like a particle accelerator. Still very ambitious.

[–] Kbobabob 3 points 3 months ago

They can call it the vomit comet.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

That would put the g-forces back in play: the faster you go around the rail the stronger the centripetal force that keeps you going in a circle. If the rail is straight the force only depends on acceleration not speed.