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This launch system was first discussed in the NewMars forum between 2018 and 2025.
It has come up again in work done by GW Johnson.
Images are created but not available at the moment.
The concept of the launch method is to accelerate from the surface of the Earth (or any spherical body) in a straight line perpendicular to a line from the center of the Earth. An example of a launch method would be an electric catapult to give a vehicle forward momentum.
The second 'stage' would be an air-breathing phase that would continue until there is insufficient oxygen available to sustain combustion.
The third 'stage' would be a rocket.
Earlier work was done by kbd512, but it will take some effort to find it.
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This topic was originally created in response to one of the studies GW Johnson has done on launch topology.
I use that word with care, because we do not often think of that particular word in connection with space launches.
The word itself is (apparently) from the field of mathematics, so I'm hoping NewMars members will provide a better choice.
I'm using the word (temporarily) to differentiate between classes of launches.
Tangent launch is a very particular launch concept. It applies very well to airless bodies such as the Moon.
It's not as useful on Earth, where the atmosphere would present an obstacle for hundreds of miles it it were used.
In earlier discussions in the forum, members have considered a variety of launch methods from the surface of the Moon.
Electromagnetic launch systems lend themselves admirably to the tangent launch concept if applied on the Moon, because the modest rise of a linear accelerator with respect to the surface implies modest expense for support structures. Even regolith could be piled up to support a linear accelerator.
I bring this up in light of the arrival of interesting objects to near Earth. Not too long ago, the arrival of 2024YR4 was in discussion here, and it was determined that a relatively small dV would be required to place a sensor package on the asteroid. In that case, the asteroid is going to pass close to Earth, and possibly within the Lunar orbit
The interstellar comet (ATLAS) that is approaching is in a VERY different league. It's velocity with respect to the Sun is reported to be on the order of 60 Km/s, and the velocity of Earth in orbit is reported to be on the order of 30 Km/s. Apparently no human machine exists that can achieve that dV change directly. That change could be achieved by careful planning of a Solar flyby maneuver, but I understand that such a maneuver would take years to achieve if we depended upon normal Solar gravity to handle most of the flight.
All this leads me to the possibility that humans might be able to build a 30 Km/s magnitude launcher on the Moon.
The first category of such a launcher has been discussed in some depth in the forum.
In this post, I'd like to offer for consideration the "SpinLaunch" concept applied to the entire Lunar sphere.
Humans know how to spin small objects in circles.
Particle accelerators have been in operation on Earth for many decades.
The cyclotron was invented in 1929-1930. Linear accelerators existed before that.
My suggestion here is to consider using the surface of the Moon as a venue to accelerate a probe to a high velocity by accelerating it slowly in a long track, until it is ready to begin flight to an interesting object.
This would be a kind of "lunar SpinLaunch"
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