Quote:
Originally Posted by RedDevil
The mountain launch pipe cannot be vacuum, but we could superheat it and blow a lot of steam through.
The human body can endure large G forces when it is floating in water. As it weighs the same as water it could endure almost limitless G forces - except for air and gases in the lungs and bowels.
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Is a tube even necessary? Couldn't a maglev railgun accelerate at practically any rate, or is the tube the cheaper option?
I can't see a vacuum tube being feasible or practical.
Having the rocket use onboard propellant while being accelerated defeats the purpose of the accelerator; to reduce the required mass of onboard fuel. Rockets are already about 85% fuel, by weight. Of that fuel, something like 85% of it is used to accelerate the remaining fuel.
Providing ground based acceleration logarithmically reduces the amount of fuel required to take a vehicle to orbit or escape velocity.
Can the body really withstand sustained 10+ G acceleration rates if surrounded by water? The brain is encased in fluid, and yet people get concussions fairly easily.