Magleving up Chimborazo

Mark wrote,

"Sorry Ron - I forgot to mention that these figures were for a 1KM
length mass driver, which I proposed as the maximum practical length
for the configuration I suggested.
"

Not a problem. Remind me: why do you think that 1 km is the maximum practical length for such a mass driver? For reference, runways for commercial airliners are often, I think, 12,000 feet long.

Ron

"markac_99"
01/28/2002 06:01 AM

> markac_99 wrote,
>
> "
> On the SSI website it quotes that vthye mass driver III project
> achieved accelerations of 1800g. I calculate that this would
achieve
> a velocity of 6km/sec.
>
> To accelerate to escape velocity (11.3Km/sec) would require an
> acceleration of aroung 6400g.
> "
>
> Delta-V does not depend solely on the acceleration provided by the
mass
> driver. The length of the mass driver is the other side of the
coin.
>
> A particular delta-V value could be achieved by either
> 1.) A low acceleration but very long mass driver, or
> 2.) A high acceleration and shorter mass driver.
>
> Ron
> ******
>

Sorry Ron - I forgot to mention that these figures were for a 1KM
length mass driver, which I proposed as the maximum practical length
for the configuration I suggested.

Mark.