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A comment on SpinLaunch raises $40M to build a machine to catapult objects into space. Parent comment

Re:SpinLaunch raises $40M to build a machine to catapult obj... by gnode on Friday June 15, 2018 @10:24AM (#17319978)
The article is very light on details, but I believe what's being proposed is an evacuated tube with maglev propulsion, used to accelerate a rocket up to 5000mph (as stated in the article) while on the ground. The rocket is then released, and travels until some altitude is reached, at which point engine then starts and it continues to orbit. This results in a large fuel saving over a conventional rocket.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_driver

The g-forces involved would be very high, well beyond lethal to a human, so this would be for launching robust satellites, raw materials, or fuel cheaply into space. They would still be substantially lower than those of a space gun / intercontinental artillery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_gun#Practical_attempts

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Re:SpinLaunch raises $40M to build a machine to catapult obj... by zer0faith on Friday June 15, 2018 @02:28PM (#17322239)
Would it be fair to say it is kinda like punkin chunkin?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_chucking

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Re:SpinLaunch raises $40M to build a machine to catapult obj... by gnode on Monday June 18, 2018 @10:06AM (#17338332)
Similar. I'd like to see a maglev (railgun) pumpkin chuck though.
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Re:SpinLaunch raises $40M to build a machine to catapult obj... by beinstein on Friday June 15, 2018 @12:02PM (#17320776)
No maglev and rocket fires at a different time :-)
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Re:SpinLaunch raises $40M to build a machine to catapult obj... by gnode on Friday June 15, 2018 @12:15PM (#17320917)
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply this wasn't the case. I've edited this in now.
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Re:SpinLaunch raises $40M to build a machine to catapult obj... by rory096 on Friday June 15, 2018 @01:50PM (#17321893)
Given that the grandparent is presumably Ben Einstein of Bolt VC, an early investor in SpinLaunch, it sounds safe to say it's not using maglev at all. They say the catapult will be a centrifuge spinning inside a vacuum.

https://www.crunchbase.com/person/ben-einstein

https://www.crunchbase.com/funding_round/spinlaunch-converti...

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