space gun

I think this could be a great idea for launching raw materials into space to be used for construction etc but launching sats and the like would be extremely difficult due to the extreme acceleration wrecking everything the shell carries.Maybe one could be used to launch blocks of alluminiun,steal,titanium or whatever else to be used in construction of space stations and large ships.

www.astronautix.com...

[edit on 6-7-2004 by ufo3]

It was an excellent project. The Iraq gun would have been something to behold except the fact that a total madman would have had controll of it. TO bad the Mossad wacked him in retribution for building a gun that could have hit Isreal. It would have been a really cheap way to send small items into orbit. Small satelites for rapid deployment, or even a version of the Brilliant pebbles SDI program.

Originally posted by FredT
Small satelites for rapid deployment

You forgot huge acceleration. Satellite's electronic and others should be casted inside plastic or something to keep them in their places on circuit board.
Of course if gun is used to get cargo out of dense lower atmosphere and after that smaller rocket booster would accelerate to orbital speed would help to decrease acceleration spikes.