China is building an electromagnetic railgun to launch spacecraft

Engineers from China are working on creating a giant electromagnetic railgun . Presumably, it will be able to deliver astronauts into orbit without the use of rocket fuel.

Info Mar 28, 2024 0 136 Add to Reading List

China is building an electromagnetic railgun to launch spacecraft

The Chinese corporation CASIC is building a two-kilometer low-vacuum rail system. The developed prototype is capable of accelerating payloads from Mach 1.6 to Mach 5.

Often problems when launching spacecraft arise at the beginning of the flight, when the engines are operating at maximum power. In this context, the railgun may provide a more reliable method of sending into space.

Currently, the railgun does not have sufficient power. After exiting, the spacecraft will have to turn on its engines to accelerate to the required speed. However, if engineers increase the power of the railgun, then the fuel consumption to launch the rocket into orbit will be significantly reduced.

The CASIC team also encountered problems associated with the shock waves that occur when breaking the sound barrier. At the same time, they express hope that they will be able to overcome these difficulties.

The next stage of the project includes increasing the length of the railgun by approximately 5 times. This will allow for higher payload speeds, and a smoother acceleration curve will improve the safety of crewed flights.

NASA also experimented with a 50-foot railgun in the 1990s, but limited funding and a number of technical problems forced the project to be put on hold.