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?"

Comments

I don't know about space

[sakdoctor]

I want to order pizza and ice cream on earth, delivered by cannon.

Re:I don't know about space

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

I want to order pizza and ice cream on earth, delivered by cannon.

That's what ICBMs are for - Ice Cream Ballistic Missiles.

yes it works on people

[192939495969798999]

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!

Re:atmospheric stresses

[RobVB]

I can't believe I actually said the words "you could shoot a rocket from a cannon" and was serious about it.

Re:We need more ideas such as this

[AnotherUsername]

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?

Re:Hunter should watch his back

[__aasqbs9791]

I'm a necromancer, you insensitive clod!

Re:We need more ideas such as this

[DigiShaman]

Same thing.

Twisting Cable

[Oxford_Comma_Lover]

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.

Re:Fuck whales.

[GWRedDragon]

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.