Time to Think ‘Horizontal’ for Future Space Launches

On 9/22/2010 3:05 PM, John Savard wrote:

Previously, on this forum, I noted that even if an electromagnetic
launch from a rail is not currently feasible on Earth, it is vastly
easier to attain a method of cheap access to space of that kind than it
would be to build a "space elevator".

Well, in searching for information on the history of the old idea of
using a launch rail, I found this site:

http://www.g2mil.com/skyramp.htm

which notes that while electromagnetic launches are not now practical,
the use of a rocket sled or pneumatic launches are a good idea.

The Air Force looked into this under SDI (even made a CGI video of a
launch of a Scramjet TAV zooming along a desert rail launcher that they
used for recruiting) but decided it was a non-starter.
One interesting aspect of this could be related to something that Sandia
Laboratories came up with as SDI was winding down, called the SERAPHIM
maglev rail system:
http://www.monorails.org/webpix%202/Seraphim101401.pdf
That's a very interesting choice of names, as the U-2's classified name
was "Angel" and the A-12's was "Archangel"...Seraphim are the next rank
up from Archangels; so maybe this was related to the launch rail for a
scramjet powered successor for strategic reconnaissance/strike?
Since the scramjet might be fueled by liquid hydrogen, you could
submerge the magnetic drive coil system in the LH2 tank and make it
superconducting.

Pat