http://www.colonyworlds.com/2007/03/could-maglev-launches-enable-cheap-access-to-space.html Discussing reasonable ways to colonize our solar system Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:16:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.colonyworlds.com/2007/03/could-maglev-launches-enable-cheap-access-to-space.html#comment-651 Andrew Swallow Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:34:00 +0000 http://www.colonyworlds.com/2007/03/could-maglev-launches-enable-cheap-access-to-space.html#comment-651 Maglev on the Earth is marginal, the atmosphere gets in the way. However it is viable on the <b>Moon</b>, simply run some steel or aluminium rails around the inside of a medium sized crater. Lunar escape velocity is 2.38 km/s. Speed of sound is 6.1 km/s in steel and 4.877 km/s in aluminium.A Maglev may still be viable on Mars, escape velocity is 5.03 km/s if steel rails are used.The Maglevs can be solar or nuclear powered. Maglev on the Earth is marginal, the atmosphere gets in the way. However it is viable on the Moon, simply run some steel or aluminium rails around the inside of a medium sized crater. Lunar escape velocity is 2.38 km/s. Speed of sound is 6.1 km/s in steel and 4.877 km/s in aluminium.A Maglev may still be viable on Mars, escape velocity is 5.03 km/s if steel rails are used.The Maglevs can be solar or nuclear powered.

]]>