[inetsee]

Having read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" a looong time ago, I have sometimes wondered why no one has ever tried to use rail guns as launch mechanisms. I vaguely remember from not so long ago that one of the criticisms was that the acceleration forces would crush any fragile parts like electronics, but is it still true that electronics can't be hardened to survive the acceleration forces? Are there other problems that make the idea of rail gun launchers simply impossible?

[beervirus]

A rail gun would work from the moon, where there's no atmosphere. On earth, the projectile would attain its highest velocity (right as it leaves the rail gun) in the thickest part of the atmosphere (at ground level).

And just for a sense of scale, escape velocity from earth's surface--assuming no atmosphere at all--is 25,000 miles per hour. The projectile is going to tear itself apart in atmosphere at those speeds.

[dboreham]

Main problem is to avoid being assassinated by Mossad.