[ExI] question re "honkin' big cannon" space launch
Russell Rukin
russell.rukin at lineone.net
Fri Mar 6 08:49:10 UTC 2009
>
> "My model at the time was to find a really high mountain, such as Everest,
> drill a long straight hole about a meter in diameter and about 10 km long,
> line it with polished steel for a barrel. The projectile would be about ten
> meters long, a meter in diameter. There would be intermediate charges along
> the barrel to keep the pressure high behind the projectile. The barrel
> would be angled about 45 degrees from horizontal, although a lower angle is
> better if one can work out a way to do it."
>
I also have a notepad full of sketches and (admittedly) far more
primitive calculations somewhere like yours. I think I used a very large
mountain somewhere in Ethiopia? My'n had two holes. Spoil was used in a
vast dropping weight in hole two which was connected to hole one. Air
pressure belched the projectile out which used rockets to propel its way
to space after its initial velocity started to drop. The dropping weight
was winched back up using very high gearing and solar powered
engine's/moter's, hence Ethiopia which I thought could do with a space
program... Looking back I can see a few flaws in my master plan...
Russell R
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