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China plans to build a giant rail gun to launch hypersonic planes into space, making Nasa’s dream come true
- Chinese scientists are combining electromagnetic launch and hypersonic flight to create a new way to send people into space
- If the project is successful, the new technology could reduce launch costs to a fraction of the current price
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Stephen Chenin Beijing
People could soon be launched into space using a type of hypersonic rail gun, as Chinese scientists and engineers combine the significant advances made in recent years in both electromagnetic launch and hypersonic flight.
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Essentially the goal is this: to use a giant electromagnetic launch track to accelerate a hypersonic aircraft to Mach 1.6. The aircraft would then separate from the track, ignite its engine and enter near space at seven times the speed of sound.
This space plane, a behemoth weighing 50 tonnes and measuring longer than a Boeing 737, is part of the “Tengyun project” unveiled in 2016.
Relying on the plane’s own power for lift-off would require a huge amount of fuel. And to ensure safety during a low-speed take-off, scientists and engineers have had to make compromises in aerodynamic design and engine layout that affect high-speed flight efficiency.
But, while in the past such projects did not get past the discussion phase, this time it is different. China is putting words into action.
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And scientists working on the project are confident the various issues can be solved.
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