Overpopulation

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "Omar E. Vega"
>
> Hi Robert,
>
> > > Hi Robert,
> > >
> > > Good idea !!
> > >
> > > I wonder how long the tracks should be to reach just Mach 2.
Why?
> > > Perhaps it could be possible to accelerate a ship to that
speed,
> > > from which an hypersonic engine would start to push the plane
up
> to
> > > Mach 25. That way could be very easy and cheap to reach space
in
> 10
> > > minutes.
> > > And the infrastructure needed should be a lot smaller.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Omar Vega
> > >
> > interesting idea. the one problem i can see is that if it
launched
> > before the engine started it would run the risk that they would
> have
> > to land deadstick immeadiately afterwords. not a major problem.
> >
> > on the other hand, to get the ship to 6 miles a second requires
> that
> > the tube be near vaccum presure which also has problems. having
> the
> > launch speed at a lower speed could allow it to have a atmosphere
> > which could allow the engines to start inside the "race track".
> > allowing a easy launch.
> >
> > if you were going to launch in this manner and were willing to
> handle
> > 4 g for 16.26 seconds, your best bet would be to build a straight
> > rail 3.4 miles long. that would give you mach 2 speed a short
> > distance before the end of the rail. the problem with this is
that
> > the rail would have to be able to withstand the shock wave (or
the
> > ship would have to be designed to deflect it away from the rail)
> of
> > the mach wave.
> >
> Well, those kind of problems does not seem to be impossible to
solve.
> I get, this way the chemical fuel needed would be a lot less than
in
> conventional travel. I wonder if someone can help with the
> calculations.
>
> 0-Mach 2 -> zero fuel. Only electric power.
> Mach 2 - Mach 25 -> save all the oxygen because of the scramjet
tech.
>
> The question is, in percentage, How much less fuel the ship has to
> carry to reach space?
>
> Regards,
>
> Omar Vega
>
something else to consider is that a good spot to launch would be the
andies moutain range. one of the tallest (sorry, lost the name) is
about 1 degree south of the equator. it is the farthest point from
the center of the earth on the surface of the earth. (taller
mountains are farther from the equator. the equator bulge causes this
mountain to be farther even thought its closer to sea lvl.) this
would be a major advantage as it would get the biggest gain from the
rotation of the earth. at that altitude the atmospheric pressure
would be about 25 percent less, allowing for easier passage though
the air, and less of a thermal problem. the disadvantage is that it
would have less oxigen for the engine