[ExI] Inflatable tower could climb to the edge of space

[Dan]

--- On Fri, 6/12/09, BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/12/09, Damien Broderick wrote:
> > At 12:51 PM 6/12/2009 -0500, I blathered:
> >  That's not what I meant, is it? Exactly wrong:
> in line with the wind (when
> > that would help). <cough>
> >
> 
> If you are contemplating putting a 15 kilometer linear
> motor up an
> inflatable tower, which might take a bit of 'not yet done'
> technology,
> then...
> 
> why not build the linear motor along the ground and up the
> side of a mountain?
> It could be longer than 15 kilometers, if required, and
> would give a
> good launch boost to a smaller rocket. It doesn't have to
> be used for
> humans if the stresses are too great.

I believe that idea's been discussed before -- and not just here.  Not that it's a bad idea.  I think I also saw an animation on a TV documentary depicting a crewed rocket being accelerated and then the rockets firing at the end -- kind of similar, I reckon, to launching planes from a carrier, though I presume the jets are running before they're launched.

Regards,

Dan