Chinese Media Reveals Plan for Revolutionary Space Railgun: Could Cut Launch Costs to $60/kg China's Ambitious Tengyun Project: Launching 50-Tonne Spacecraft into Orbit with Electromagnetic Railgun . Credit: newatlas.com

And in this case, even before that, China's rabbit is to develop an electromagnetic railgun to launch 50-tonne crewed spacecraft into orbit, and the challenges are daunting.

With the demand for more efficient and cost-effective methods of launching spacecraft into orbit, China has set its sights on developing an electromagnetic railgun as a potential solution. This ambitious project, known as the Tengyun project, aims to launch crewed spacecraft the size of a Boeing 737, weighing 50 tonnes, into orbit using an electromagnetic accelerator instead of traditional rockets. While it may seem like a far-fetched idea, the potential benefits make it a very attractive option. The goal is to keep as much of the launching system on the ground, while leaving the spacecraft as light as possible, reducing the need for carrying excessive amounts of fuel and resulting in a more efficient launch process. However, the technical details and numbers involved pose a significant challenge, and the success of this project would make it one of the greatest engineering achievements in history.

This requires not only developing a spacecraft that is compatible with such a railgun, but also a launcher that can handle the force, vibrations, and other factors to ensure the safety of human passengers. While NASA has studied similar systems, their focus has primarily been on transporting heavy, unmanned payloads.

The task of developing this space railgun is incredibly daunting. It will not only involve scaling up the technology, but also major advancements in various areas such as control systems, power sources, and building materials. Additionally, the railgun would need to be at least five miles long to reach Mach 1.6 with passengers and even longer for Mach 5, making it the largest vacuum chamber ever constructed. It would require a nuclear power plant to generate the necessary energy, and a new type of supercapacitor to store it. This would require not only significant engineering breakthroughs, but also the development of a whole new industrial infrastructure.

As the saying goes, first catch your rabbit. And in this case, China's rabbit is to develop an electromagnetic railgun, and the magnitude of this task is truly remarkable.

Source: newatlas.com
Alton Shaffer
With a strong hold on the business domain with an experience of over 10 years, Alton owns a Masters Degree in Business Administrations. He is associated with Industry News USA from last 3 years and handles the Business section successfully. In team Industry News USA, Alton is known as an affluent source of knowledge. He is honored for greatest efforts in his field. With a unique style of communicating, Alton is labeled as a problem-solver of Industry News USA.