Comments on: Launching Satellites With A Magnetic Slingshot http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/ Deliciously Geeky... Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:25:03 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mark http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/comment-page-1/#comment-111565 Mark Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:23:39 +0000 http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/#comment-111565 At 180 pounds each, slinging some unwanted persons into outerspace is still out of reach for me. So how innovative is it really? At 180 pounds each, slinging some unwanted persons into outerspace is still out of reach for me. So how innovative is it really?

]]> By: Ron http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/comment-page-1/#comment-111358 Ron Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:46:26 +0000 http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/#comment-111358 The first linear accelerator was built in 1976. Search for "mass driver" in wikipedia. JB: If small size is a factor, then why is the picture at a salt flat (in the desert)? Jason: And Arthur C. Clarke just wrote about communications satellites in 1945. When they finally flew 15 years later, they weren't innovative. The first mass driver prototype was built 30 YEARS ago. This one may be successful, but hardly innovative. The first linear accelerator was built in 1976. Search for “mass driver” in wikipedia.

JB: If small size is a factor, then why is the picture at a salt flat (in the desert)?

Jason: And Arthur C. Clarke just wrote about communications satellites in 1945. When they finally flew 15 years later, they weren’t innovative. The first mass driver prototype was built 30 YEARS ago. This one may be successful, but hardly innovative.

]]> By: Jason http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/comment-page-1/#comment-110880 Jason Thu, 04 Jan 2007 04:35:16 +0000 http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/#comment-110880 Robert Heinlein just wrote about it, these guys are doing it. I'm not sure how much air pressure it would take to force 220lbs to 6 miles per second, but that seems a little too much like the old Air Jammer Road Rammer toys I got for Christmas about 25 years ago. Robert Heinlein just wrote about it, these guys are doing it. I’m not sure how much air pressure it would take to force 220lbs to 6 miles per second, but that seems a little too much like the old Air Jammer Road Rammer toys I got for Christmas about 25 years ago.

]]> By: Keith Miller http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/comment-page-1/#comment-110664 Keith Miller Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:04:38 +0000 http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/#comment-110664 Air pressure would be a better way to launch a satellite. It would be cheaper to build and easier as far as technology needed. Air pressure would be a better way to launch a satellite. It would be cheaper to build and easier as far as technology needed.

]]> By: JB http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/comment-page-1/#comment-110426 JB Wed, 03 Jan 2007 18:38:17 +0000 http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/#comment-110426 Heinlein's (and most other concepts that I've seen) was a linear accelerator, this launcher seems to use multiple trips around a ring to get up to speed and then sends the launch package to the ramp tangentially. This could result in a fairly significant reduction in the size of the launch site, which would have some significant advantages. More available site locations and a much smaller area requiring security come readily to mind. Heinlein’s (and most other concepts that I’ve seen) was a linear accelerator, this launcher seems to use multiple trips around a ring to get up to speed and then sends the launch package to the ramp tangentially. This could result in a fairly significant reduction in the size of the launch site, which would have some significant advantages. More available site locations and a much smaller area requiring security come readily to mind.

]]> By: Ron http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/comment-page-1/#comment-110155 Ron Wed, 03 Jan 2007 13:09:31 +0000 http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/01/03/launching-satellites-with-a-magnetic-slingshot/#comment-110155 How innovative can it be? Robert Heinlein described such an accelerator in his 1965 novel "The moon is a harsh mistress" How innovative can it be? Robert Heinlein described such an accelerator in his 1965 novel “The moon is a harsh mistress”

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