General Science and Philosophy

    

Mechanical Advantage of Electromagnetic Railgun for Space Launch Assist

Authors: Felipe Wescoup

Space launch has traditionally relied on vertical rocket systems that must overcome Earth's gravity while carrying their entire propulsion system and fuel load from ground level. This paper presents analysis of a horizontal electromagnetic rail launch system for space launch assist, examining its mechanical advantage for winged launch vehicles. Unlike traditional rocket designs where minimizing mass is paramount, this concept benefits from concentrating significant mass behind a minimal forward-facing profile, fundamentally changing the optimization approach. The mechanical advantage increases non-linearly with launch velocity, suggesting rail-assisted launch could enable more efficient space access. The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy configuration was used as a reference case to quantify these benefits.

Comments: 12 Pages.

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Submission history

[v1] 2025-01-01 19:00:47

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