[LiberConservative]

So how many phone books did it go through?

[Crazieman]

Very. Cool.

[DoughtyOne]

Wow, now that’s a vapor trail. Amazing...

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I want the hand-held version for home protection.

[traumer]

[markomalley]

Nice video

[timer]

20 years ago the EMSL program was alive and well, started by a small splinter group of aerospace people. It was a ground based version of the space based KKV, an orbiting electric cannon. The objective was to shoot projectiles directly into LEO. As you may know, one pound in LEO, moving at 5 mps and 100 miles up, is worth all of 4 KWH of electrical energy vs $20,000/# on the shuttle.

The rail gun was one system that was considered but after 3-4 shots the rails have to be refurbished, thus making it an impractical EMSL(ElectroMagnetic Space Launch)concept. A far better concept was the quenched superconducting rings idea. Here you have the sabot/projectile at the base with a series of su-co rings pulling upward on it. Release and then precisely quench(turn off)each ring as it passes(with heating lasars). Accelerations in the 150,000g to 300,000g range, the basic “freight car” to space vs the shuttle’s delicate 3g “passenger car”.

In about 300 ft of length you get the required 5 mps injection velocity of the 10 kg projectile. Movie film chambers at the top to maintain internal vacuum, lithium pore nose in the projectile...this was all worked out 20 years ago but vested interests NASA killed it(competition from a better idea). EMSL could put 2 shuttle loads/day in LEO at a tiny fraction of what NASA charges YOU as an STS.

[China Clipper]

quick... someone tell me.. What was the name of that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie whose “bad guys” use this technology? Argh... can’t remember, must check internet......

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Technical “niggles”. And I thought I’d heard it all over 3 decades of engineering.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

The name ‘hypercannon’ is niftier than ‘electro-cannon.’

[Keith in Iowa]

...technical niggles...

Niggles....I like their use of that term. :)

[paul51]

enabling them to fire heavier projectiles at targets two hundred miles away

Pretty challenging to keep track of the back drop on those kind of shots

[Jackknife]

Holy ...............

.............MOLY !!!!

[A.A. Cunningham]

080131-N-0000X-001 DAHLGREN, Va. (Jan. 31, 2008) Photograph taken from a high-speed video camera during a record-setting firing of an electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Va., on January 31, 2008, firing at 10.64MJ (megajoules) with a muzzle velocity of 2520 meters per second. The Office of Naval Research's EMRG program is part of the Department of the Navy's Science and Technology investments, focused on developing new technologies to support Navy and Marine Corps war fighting needs. This photograph is a frame taken from a high-speed video camera. U.S. Navy Photograph (Released)

U.S. Navy Demonstrates World's Most Powerful EMRG at 10 Megajoules

[wildbill]

Now all the admirals have to do is figure out how to get the damn thing in range of a target before the ship gets creamed by a airborne or static missile.

These guys are still fighting the last big war (WWII) in their bathtubs. Give us a break.

[Wiz]

Here is the video. Don't forget to bring popcorn for this entertainment.

Railgun Projectile Test

[JWinNC]

"...muzzle energy of 10.6 megajoules"

damn!!!

Where can I get one?

[Redcloak]

7,818,159 foot-pounds. That’ll leave a mark.

[Steamburg]

To be banned by a Federal Judge within the week and sold by our next president to Iran so they will give up their nuclear program./Sarc?