Re:So, you want to build a CubeSat?
by Rebelgecko on Tuesday July 30, 2019 @02:21PM
(#20567644)
Air launch to orbit has been explored a bit, although mostly by launching from aircraft to get more horizontal velocity— the hardest part of getting to orbit isn't getting high enough, it's going fast enough horizontally that you don't fall down to earth.
That's how the Pegasus rocket launches, as well as some rockets currently under development by companies like Virgin and Stratolaunch
Re:So, you want to build a CubeSat?
by brandmeyer on Tuesday July 30, 2019 @01:39PM
(#20567175)
Satellites contain parts and joints that don't want to see a 10^5 m/s^2 acceleration.
The last guy that tried this was murdered by Sadaam.
Most people underestimate the speed required to obtain a reasonable orbit, and the amount of tube required to accelerate an object to that speed.
Re:So, you want to build a CubeSat?
by opwieurposiu on Tuesday July 30, 2019 @05:34PM
(#20569437)
He worked for Saddam, he was murdered by Israel or possibly Iran.
interesting. For what I remember of reading this story many years ago is that he got on the badside of Saddam for not delivering what he promised to deliver. I'll have to reread the story.
Yes but its tricky. http://alnaspaceprogram.org/gun.html
It's called a Space gun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_gun
You also might be interested in SpinLaunch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpinLaunch
Probably not, orbit is mostly about going very very fast sideways rather than being high up.
Re:So, you want to build a CubeSat?
by makerofspoons on Tuesday July 30, 2019 @01:53PM
(#20567359)
You may be interested in Project HARP which investigated such a concept in the 1960s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_HARP
The projectile has a rocket motor too.
Get the cannon as high as possible with a balloon.
At the limit, the cannon fires the projectile at high velocity. The rocket motor ignites giving the extra velocity.
Do you think it could reach escape velocity?
IANARS (I am not a rocket scientist)