It was a project that Nasa abandoned. Now China is determined to make electromagnetic hypersonic space launches a reality.
  • Sodium_nitride@lemmygrad.ml
    10·
    8 months ago

    Chinese technology by 2030 will become very interesting. There’s been lots of cool stuff coming out recently from China that will be out of the initial phases in a few years. Though I imagine this rail gun launching system will take longer to yield fruit (maybe by 2035?).

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.mlOP
      92·
      8 months ago

      It’s an exhilarating sight to behold, this revival of grand engineering feats. It appears as though the West has relinquished its pursuit of substantial infrastructure projects once the internet emerged on the scene. The lion’s share of talent is now diverted towards software development companies that contribute little in terms of tangible socially useful creations. In my view, constructing physical entities remains paramount for achieving meaningful advancements.

  • 201dberg@lemmygrad.ml
    9·
    8 months ago

    I recall lots of old school animes loving on the idea of the space rail launcher. China making the future tech Japan dreamt about but will never have.
    Beautiful.

  • Comprehensive49@lemmygrad.ml
    2·
    8 months ago

    The test tracks used for launch testing are the same ones cited as “for hyperloop testing” here (notice that the track mentioned in both is built by CASIC in Datong, Shanxi, is 2 km long, and is inside a low-vacuum tube). Space launch is a much more logical use for this kind of technology than rail transport. It’s nice to see that the same equipment can be used for research in such different fields.

    This does mean that this track technically isn’t a “railgun”, as it uses magnetic levitation and not the Lorentz force for propulsion.