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A Space Cannon That Might Actually Work
Unequivocal writes "Chalk another one up to Jules Verne. Physicist John Hunter is proposing a space cannon with a new design idea: it's mostly submerged. 'Many engineers have toyed with the [space cannon] concept, but nobody has came up with an actual project that may work. Hunter's idea is simple: Build a cannon near the equator, submerged in the ocean, hooked to a floating rig ... A system like this will cut launch costs from $5,000 per pound to only $250 per pound. It won't launch people into space because of the excessive acceleration, but those guys at the ISS can use it to order pizza and real ice cream.' Though it won't work on people, with launch costs that low, who cares?"
I want to order pizza and ice cream on earth, delivered by cannon.
it works on people, so long as they're already dead. Why does this matter? Because now I can get the Star Trek space-burial I always wanted!
stuff |
Milkshake.
I'd rather you rationally disagree than irrationally agree.
Dammit. Those music-stealers ruin everything.
I can't believe I actually said the words "you could shoot a rocket from a cannon" and was serious about it.
I'd rather you rationally disagree than irrationally agree.
Though it won't work on people...
I'm sure it would launch people just fine.
I suppose it is a good a plan as any to get the RIAA to fund rail gun development.
What do you mean "Who cares?", I have several people I would like to launch into space cheaply. This product completely misses my needs.
You have next door neighbor whose mutt is shitting projectiles at 13,000 mph?
Finally, the problem of cheap space access resolved!
One that hath name thou can not otter
In my experience, pizza holds up less well to acceleration than people do.
design the cannon like a thermos bottle as sounds require a medium to propagate which is why in space no one can hear you scream.
So your going to have explosive pressure on one side, huge water pressure on the other side, and a vacuum in the middle?
What could go wrong?
I don't like Linux. This doesn't make me a troll.
It's just that people won't be people if they try.
Sing it with me now!
People are people
So how can it be
That you and I accelerate
So awfully?
The enemies of Democracy are
I'm a necromancer, you insensitive clod!
Or politics?
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
SPACE ELEVATORRRRR
(it sounds so cool when you type it in caps!)
Strange. My keys sound the same in any case... or font for that matter.
There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
Same thing.
Life is not for the lazy.
So what you're saying is "Space is big. Really big...."
The problem with quotes on the internet, is that nobody bothers to check their veracity. -- Abraham Lincoln
Who's going to buy the tylenol for the whales?
You got it wrong, even though the cannon is submerged into ocean it is not going to shoot whales into space. And even if it did, I am not sure how tylenol would help them.
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. - Yogi Berra
Dear sir,
If we twisted the cable around the earth, and the cable was connected to the moon on the other end, we could tow the moon back here.
Whichever country it landed on would then be the largest country in the world. (Although it would also be squished.)
We could use this technique to explore space cheaply.
I will authorize funding for space exploration only if this method is used.
Regards,
Your Elected Representative
PS - As a side benefit, we can invade the moon.
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
Since the Moon isn't in geosynchronous orbit, the surface moves relative to the Moon you'd end up winding the cable around the planet.
Make the cable sharp enough and this would do a fine job of slicing the planet in half at the equator, so we could finally be rid of those damn South Americans. Northern hemisphere FTW!
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
Obviously we need to make it out of money!
Great, this could put a whole new light on lost baggage: "Dear Mr. Jones. Your baggage was fired Tuesday. It should have arrived at the ISS before you did. Unfortunately, the capture system failed. The capsule has entered an unstable, atmosphere grazing orbit and will burn upon re-entry in about two weeks. We're sorry, but this loss is covered in the waiver you signed. Sincerely, A. Pratt"
------ The only greater hazard to your liberty than n politicians is n+1 politicians.
Seriously.
Why should whales get dibs on the whole ocean.
People like you are the reason Kirk had to go back in time to the 1980s. Sheesh.
I think anyone on Slashdot who claims that Saddam modelled his lifestyle on James Bond movies is not being serious.
That was Kim Jong Il.
Oh wait...
The Canadian Seal teams are comprised of actual seals.
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"