A rail accelerator was chosen for study as an electromagnetic space propulsion device because of its simplicity and existing technology base. The results of a mission feasibility study using a large rail accelerator for direct launch of ton-size payloads from the Earth's surface to space, and the results of initial tests with a small, laboratory rail accelerator are presented. The laboratory rail accelerator has a bore of 3 by 3 mm and has accelerated 60 mg projectiles to velocities of 300 to 1000 m/s. Rail materials of Cu, W, and Mo were tested for efficiency and erosion rate.
Rail Accelerator Research at Lewis Research Center
1982
30 pages
Report
No indication
English
Rail accelerator research at Lewis Research Center
NTRS | 1982
|Rail accelerator research at Lewis Research Center
NTRS | 1982
|Rail accelerator research at Lewis Research Center
AIAA | 1982
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