[Svartalfiar]

sl - 300ft d biggest ferris - 550ft d Ultimately, this leads to a linear accelerator - for example, an electric rail gun. But I didn't want to "muddy the waters" by going down that road. Eventually, you end up realizing that a rocket sled would be more feasible. From there, it's only a step until you're back to a conventional, vertically launched rocket. Boring!
...
Unless you're talking about a centrifuge the size of a Ferris Wheel (terribly impractical!), the g-forces will crush any projectile made of conventional materials.

I didn't mean linear, I was talking about making the centrifuge crazy big. Which, according to their website, it is already the size of some Ferris wheels - 300ft diameter. (Largest Ferris wheel ever is only 550ft.) So yea, it's bigger than the wheels at your local pop-up circus/carnival thing.

Still though, it's a pretty impractical setup, and I don't see them being very successful at putting much of anything into an actual orbit.

[Dust in the Wind]

Don’t know if it’s been discussed but I wonder how the imbalance of the wheel is compensated at release? Too much wear and tear.

[alexander_busek]

I didn't mean linear, I was talking about making the centrifuge crazy big. Which, according to their website, it is already the size of some Ferris wheels - 300ft diameter. (Largest Ferris wheel ever is only 550ft.) So yea, it's bigger than the wheels at your local pop-up circus/carnival thing.

We are talking at cross-purposes, I fear.

To reiterate: When you start talking about making the centrifuge bigger and bigger (in order to attain high speeds without high g-forces - a reasonable notion!), you soon smoothly transition to linear accelerators (electric rail guns), then rocket sleds, then conventional vertically launched rockets. That's simply how the conversation always evolves!

Regards,

P.S.:

"High-speed centrifuges are specialized centrifuges that reach maximum speeds between 18,000 and 25,000 rpm (they can generate around 60,000 g). They are cooled and normally have a vacuum system to prevent the rotor from heating up due to friction with the air." - website of Kalstein centrifuge manuf.

I would hate to have to design the safety protocols for a Ferris Wheel-sized centrifuge required to withstand even only 60 g! And that in a vacuum! And to then have to slide open a panel to release the projectile while at the same time dealing with all the problems of pressure-equalization!