Abstract:A major issue in achieving direct launch to space using electromagnetic railguns from the surface of the earth is that we are at the bottom of a gravity well, requiring very high launch velocities to achieve orbit insertion. The atmosphere is most dense at the earth's surface-this, combined with high velocity, leads to very stressing thermal conditions for the launch aerobody. To minimize aerodynamic losses, a typical hypersonic flight body is a blunt slender cone. The thermal loads are greatest on the nosetip… Show more
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.