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Startram — Maglev Train To Low Earth Orbit

Posted by Soulskill on from the easy-to-build-just-add-unlimited-funding dept.

Zothecula writes "Getting into space is one of the harder tasks to be taken on by humanity. The present cost of inserting a kilogram of cargo by rocket into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is about US$10,000. A manned launch to LEO costs about $100,000 per kilogram of passenger. But who says we have to reach orbit by means of rocket propulsion alone? Instead, imagine sitting back in a comfortable magnetic levitation train and taking a train ride into orbit."

11 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. Fucking magnets by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now, how is this going to work?

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    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    1. Re:Fucking magnets by busyqth · · Score: 5, Funny

      200 million amperes of current running down a 1000 km long superconducting cable. In other words: it's child;s play.

    2. Re:Fucking magnets by camperdave · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Do I want to know what the induced magnetic field capable of levitating 4 tons at a distance of 20km is going to do to my hemoglobin, or to my laptop?

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      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    3. Re:Fucking magnets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm guessing accelerate it at 3gs for a period of 5 minutes.

      If the craft is designed with any level of extraplanetary shielding in mind, it'll be able to reduce the EM bleedthrough to significantly below MRI levels, and 5 minutes in an MRI is generally not considered hazardous for a human. If they can't reasonably reduce the EM effect onboard low enough to be safe for electronics, you will probably have a secure faraday box to stow them in during launch.

    4. Re:Fucking magnets by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Apparently his hemoglobin was magnetized. Yet he's now 80 and still in good health.

      Another benefit is that when you're lost, you can just float your dad in a lake as a compass...

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      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    5. Re:Fucking magnets by garyebickford · · Score: 5, Informative

      The blood system does carry an electrical current, so it makes sense that there would be a related magnetic field. And (speculating) if a large number of individual cells had become weakly magnetized (acquired some magnetic alignment in materials in the cell), then it stands to reason that they would continue to maintain some small level of orientation for a while, as each one tends to encourage the neighbors to stay aligned.

      Look up "Biologically Closed Electrical Circuits, by Björn Nordenström a very well-regarded pathologist, who was allowed in the 1960s to perform studies and experiments on terminally ill patients. He proved that there is an electrical current that flows through your blood stream, and that any inflammation involves a current flow as well. There's like a little fountain of current through that owie on your hand. Also through cancers, etc. In his experiments (on patients who were terminally ill of at least two different diseases, a requirement required to allow him to do the work), he was also able to show that many such diseases - cancerous lesions among others - could be shrunk and actually cured by reversing the current flow.

      The original book of that title is oriented toward researchers in that field, is very technical and very expensive - IIRC $700? - but it is often available at college libraries, and there are several other books that are oriented more toward non-technical readers. There is also an association that has been supporting ongoing research, some of which has shown very encouraging results with localized tumors.

      Dr. Nordenström was quite familiar with negative reactions from his colleagues. As his accomplishments grew, he became Head of Diagnostic Radiology at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. He also authored or co-authored more than 150 publications in radiology, electrobiology and pharmacology. He was a member of the Nobel Assembly from 1967 through 1986, and served as President of the Assembly in 1985. Even with these credentials, many of his ideas, such as needle biopsy and balloon catheterization were initially met with significant amounts of opposition by his peers.

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      It's easier to be a result of the past, but more fun to be a cause of the future! http://www.spacefinancegroup.com/
  2. I can imagine quite a bit by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    If I'm going to fantasize about shit that will never be built, I'd rather dream of the sexbot. Oh perfect robotic woman---who is always horny, cooks and cleans, never wants diamonds, has no parents, never drones about about some bitch at work, never cheats, never complains about wanting a bigger house or nicer car---how I dream of thee.

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    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:I can imagine quite a bit by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A robot like that would never settle for a slash dotter.

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      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  3. A better idea that a space elevator by ShooterNeo · · Score: 5, Informative

    1. Requires no materials we don't already have
    2. Would allow for continuous launches. This tube could be used every 15 minutes or so for another payload
    3. Fairly massively spaceships could be launched this way
    4. Once you get into LEO, getting around in space is relatively easy and cheap.

    Downsides : the forces involved here are extreme. There's enormous magnetic fields, the whole structure is suspended in the air, it's over 1000 miles long, and depends on various complex pieces of tech to not rip itself apart. If the vacuum leaks or the plasma window fails or a magnet gets too much current, a chunk or even the whole damn launcher could spectacularly fail.

    In addition, the estimated costs have got to be a factor of 10 too optimistic. 60 billion dollars? For something constructed of tens of thousands of miles of superconducting cable and a structure made to aerospace engineering tolerances that is 1000 miles long? Even 600 billion sounds optimistic for something that large.

  4. Hmmm, 1600 km of superconductors... by hbar+squared · · Score: 5, Interesting

    " there is a superconducting cable on the ground carrying 200 million amperes, and a superconducting cable in the launch tube carrying 20 million amperes, at an altitude of 20 km there will be a levitating force of about 4 tons per meter of cable length"

    That works out to an energy density of (mgh)=1.5e9 J/m. Multiply that by 1600 km, and you get 2.5e15 J, or half a megaton, equivalent to the yield of a small hydrogen bomb. Anyone ever see a superconducting magnet quench?

  5. Re:cost, $60 billion? by subreality · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm skeptical of the cost. $60B 2010 dollars is the estimated cost for high speed rail from SF and Sacramento to LA and San Diego. You're telling me I can get a maglev to fucking space for that much? Please do it if it's true, but I don't believe it.