One of the most expensive
aspects of space travel occurs in the first few minutes of
the flight. The energy required to break away from the pull
of Earth’s gravity is enormous. Current spacecraft must
burn enough fuel to carry the craft and fuel into orbit. In
order to make space flight affordable scientist will need to
find a new way of launching a spacecraft. Magnetic
levitation could provide the answer and allow everyday
people to plan a holiday in space.
High strength magnets are
already used to move trains and roller coasters. NASA's Advanced Space
Transportation Program at the Marshall Space Flight
Centre is developing magnetic levitation technologies that
could reduce the cost of going to space so dramatically that
everyday people could leave the planet. The magnetic track
would launch the vehicle at a speed of 600 mph and rocket
engines would complete the trip into space.
The launch track basically
uses an induction motor that you can find in many common
electrical devices. Where as the motor in a fan creates a
spinning circular motion; the launch track will create
thrust in a straight line. Alternating current will energize
the coils creating a magnetic field that will lift the craft
of the ground and accelerate it down the track.
Links:
Launching
Rockets Using a Magnet
Magnetic
Levitation - Science is Fun a very good collection of
MAGLEV links to other sites
Fun
Levitation Systems
Simple
MAGLEV Train
DIY plans
Magnetic
Levitation for Transportation
Magnetic
Levitation- The Basics
