China is developing an electromagnetic super cannon to launch aircraft into space
Chinese scientists are reportedly developing a giant electromagnetic cannon to launch hypersonic aircraft into space. The space plane would be larger than a Boeing 737, and the technology could help reduce launch costs.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that, once operational, the giant 50-ton spaceplane will be launched at double the speed of sound. Chinese scientists have been working on the project (called Tengyun) since 2016, but believe they are very close to a breakthrough.
The “railgun” is an electromagnetic launch pad used to accelerate the hypersonic aircraft to Mach 1.6, which is almost double the speed of sound (Mach 2). The massive space planes are said to exceed 39.3 meters in length and weigh 50 metric tons. If that's true, that's longer than a Boeing 737.
After launch, the space plane will form the runway and enter space after firing its engine. If successful, the new technology could dramatically reduce launch costs. This makes it attractive to companies like NASA and SpaceX, which have yet to successfully develop an electromagnetic launch of this magnitude.
Tengyung
Space planes launched with electromagnetic cannons
Relying solely on the plane's own power for takeoff would require a significant amount of fuel, and the team also encountered difficulty finding a way to combat the dangers of a slow-speed takeoff.
To overcome this problem, Chinese engineers reportedly had to compromise on the aerodynamic design and engine layout, which affected the machines' high-speed flight efficiency. Scientists working on the Tengyun project are confident that they can solve the current problems.
'Electromagnetic launch technology offers a promising solution to overcome these challenges and has emerged as a strategic frontier technology pursued by the world's leading nations,' wrote Li Shaowei , lead scientist of the team, in an article published in the journal Acta Aeronautica on February 6.
To test a theory, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) will use the 1.95km-long track high-speed maglev test facility in Datong.
The original purpose of the laboratory was to provide a key test platform for vacuum tube maglev train technology. It is now used for aerospace testing, thanks to its ability to push heavy objects up to 1,000 km/h.
The Datong test facility will be extended to 37.2 miles (60 km/h) in length, to reach a maximum operating speed of 5,000 km/h in the future.
An ambitious project, but not new
According to SCMP, the laboratory is considered one of the 'most ambitious electromagnetic propulsion facilities on the planet', which is why it will now be used to collect crucial scientific data for the electromagnetic space launch project.
NASA and the US Navy have also experimented with electromagnetic space launch systems and hypersonic aircraft along with China.
In the 1990s, NASA attempted to build a 49-foot (14.9-meter) mini-test line, but could only complete about 32 feet (9.8 meters) due to technical difficulties and lack of funding .
Military officials decided to abandon their ambitious project and instead focused on developing low-speed electromagnetic catapult technology.
Horizontal acceleration launch, however, is nothing new: the Sanger “Siebelvogel” or “Amerika Bomber” , developed by Nazi Germany in the 1940s, involved launching an orbital bomber by launching it from an accelerated track via a rocket.
The real innovation in this case comes from the use of magnetism to accelerate the vehicle on the rail.
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The article China is developing a super electromagnetic cannon to launch planes into space comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-cina-sta-sviluppando-un-super-cannone-elettromagnetico-per-lanciare-aerei-nello-spazio/ on Sat, 16 Mar 2024 17:27:07 +0000.