Launching into space with the aid of conventional rockets is a difficult, expensive, dangerous and environmentally damaging activity. Therefore, various companies and organizations are developing alternative ways of delivering cargo to Earth orbit. We recently talked about SpinLaunch, a company that has developed a kinetic launch system whose rocket accelerates to an incredible speed in a circular vacuum chamber and fires vertically at Mach 6 speed. However, Green Launch offers a simpler solution – the use of massive gas guns.

One of the founders and leaders of Green Launch, Dr. John, who led the Super High Altitude Research Project (SHARP) at Livermore National Laboratory nearly 30 years ago. John W. Hunter. We will remind our readers that within the framework of this program, the largest and most powerful weapon capable of firing bullets into space has been developed.

A 122 meter long cannon was built during the implementation of the SHARP program in 1992. A mixture of hydrogen, helium and oxygen was used as a charge, and the bullet in the barrel of this gun reached a speed of 9 Mach.

Green Launch has now developed an experimental 16.5-metre hydrogen weapon and fired several shots at it. In vertical fire mode, the projectile entered the atmosphere at Mach 3 and will be boosted later this year so that the projectile from this weapon will cross the Pocket boundary 100 kilometers high above which space begins.

“According to our calculations, the maximum velocity of projectile acceleration when using hydrogen fuel is 11.2 kilometers per second (Mach 32.7)” – says John Hunter – “However, we plan to limit the launch speed to 6 kilometers per second, while maintaining the source barrel. “

The projectile will be a small two-stage rocket whose engines will give it the extra acceleration needed to enter Earth orbit. This rocket will be smaller and lighter than the SpinLaunch rocket, as the hydrogen gun will give the rocket a high exit velocity.

According to preliminary estimates, space hydrogen weapons will be able to fire every 60-90 minutes. The cost of one shot will be minimal. This will allow companies to launch entire constellations of satellites, significantly reducing costs and redistributing risks.

“For example, if something goes wrong when you launch a rocket, you could lose all 200 satellites at once,” says John Hunter. At the same time, of course, several satellites may fail and disappear, but such a situation is easy to predict and take appropriate action.

The main problem during launch with a weapon will be acceleration, which will affect the design of the launched satellite and onboard electronics. The maximum acceleration will reach 30,000 g, but tests have shown that filling with plastic epoxy compound and the use of other additional protection methods allow the electronics to withstand such loads without damage.

“We’re currently working closely with the University of California, San Diego, and Harvard, and we’re getting funding from the National Science Foundation,” says John Hunter. Chemical and isotopic analysis of the composition of valuable data for climatologists studying the energy balance of our planet. And with our cannon, we can collect samples at altitudes that are too big for balloons and too small for artificial satellites.”