Fred J. McCall wrote:
(Ian Stirling) wrote:

Quadibloc wrote:
On Dec 8, 11:30?pm, |"
wrote:

Maybe ok for some hardware but not for fleshware.

It's the degree of acceleration that could be a problem for our frail
mortal flesh - not the velocity reached at the end. 16,000 mph is
orbital velocity (going around the 24,000 mile circumference Earth in
90 minutes), and that will have to be reached eventually. Of course,
to launch people into orbit, that implies a _really long_ railgun. And

There has been research done in the 60s on maximum that 'motivated
voulenteers' can take.
It's coincidentally around 9000m/s delta-v over a range from 15G-25G.

This is prone, immersed in fluid IIRC, but the link I had has gone
dead.

They basically centrifuged people at constant high G, until they tapped
out.

At those kinds of levels I don't think they'd be conscious to 'tap
out'. People GLOC around 10g.

No - fighter pilots GLOC at around 10g - in fighter aircraft seats.
Prone, it takes a bit more.