Article

2021-11-11 Science & Technology

Slingshot into space: Startup CATAPULTS projectile into space from a supersonic centrifuge as an environmentally-friendly alternative to fuel-based rockets

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Posted by Skidmark 2021-11-11 00:00|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 Bet your G-Forces would be a tad overwhelming....

Posted by Mullah Richard 2021-11-11 08:30|| 2021-11-11 08:30|| Front Page Top

#2 For living creatures anyway.

Posted by M. Murcek 2021-11-11 08:34|| 2021-11-11 08:34|| Front Page Top

#3 Now, it doesn't take any energy to spin this thing up. At all. It's kinda like Gerald Bull's orbital cannon.

Posted by ed in texas 2021-11-11 09:38|| 2021-11-11 09:38|| Front Page Top

#4 Might be good for slinging things out of earth's gravity well.

Posted by CrazyFool 2021-11-11 10:50|| 2021-11-11 10:50|| Front Page Top

#5 But think of the CO2 it spews...

Posted by CrazyFool 2021-11-11 10:51|| 2021-11-11 10:51|| Front Page Top

#6 We do need stuff up there. Launching fuel or food into LEO or better yet into one of the lagrange reasons would be helpful to any missions outside cislunar space.

Posted by ruprecht 2021-11-11 11:39|| 2021-11-11 11:39|| Front Page Top

#7 What do they do with the counterweight?

Posted by james 2021-11-11 14:22|| https://idontknowbut.blogspot.com 2021-11-11 14:22|| Front Page Top

#8 Other applications? Like fill with ball bearings and flip it into the path of a nosy foreign satellite?

Posted by Mercutio 2021-11-11 16:15|| 2021-11-11 16:15|| Front Page Top

#9 Imagine the Environmental Impact Statement for (quote) repeated earth-shattering kabooms (un-quote) as the cargo containers go supersonic on their way to orbit. You will be a very unpopular neighbor like Bull's Super Gun was back in the day.

On a practical note just imagine that the stresses as it unloads the payload on any armatures. Also the payload is going to be going in a particular launch angle because to be efficient this machine is going to be massive (think the turret on the IJN Yamato massive)... It all sounds better as a 'thought experiment'.

Posted by magpie 2021-11-11 19:30|| 2021-11-11 19:30|| Front Page Top

#10 Other applications?

Caskets?

Posted by Skidmark 2021-11-11 22:45|| 2021-11-11 22:45|| Front Page Top

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