Chinese scientist are supposedly in the process of building an electromagnetic rail gun that will be used to launch hypersonic planes into space. The space planes will allegedly be bigger than a Boeing 747, over 129 feet long.
Due to recent progression in hypersonic flight and electromagnetic launch, the Chinese engineers and scientist have concluded that sending people to space will soon be possible. The railgun will essentially be a giant electromagnetic launch that will be expected to accelerate a hypersonic aircraft to Mach 1.6, nearly twice the speed of sound.
“Electromagnetic launch technology provides a promising solution to overcome these challenges and has emerged as a strategic frontier technology being pursued by the world’s leading nations,” wrote team lead scientist Li Shaowei, in a paper published in journal Acta Aeronautica on February 6.
Spacecraft liftoffs require extensive amounts of fuel, this new technology will most likely cut the price of launches by a fraction. This factor will play a role in appealing to larger space companies such as SpaceX and NASA, whom have not developed an electromagnetic launch at this level.
Ambitious Project
The concept of electromagnetic launch has been around since the 1990s, however, has never been fully developed.
NASA has attempted to created a mini test line of 15 meters, but only managed to complete 10 meters due to technical problems and insufficient funds. Government and military leaders then used this to develop an electromagnetic catapult, but soon admitted its failure.
Related Stories:
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-rail-gun-to-launch-space-planes
https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/china-building-giant-hypersonic-railgun-for-space-launches/
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