Alright Futurology fans, hear me out.
We’ve been landing rockets on drone ships like it’s Tuesday, but what if the next leap is… not a rocket at all?
I’ve been working on something I call Yeet Tech™ — a maglev + vacuum railgun concept that could, in theory, fling bulk cargo (think: water barrels, raw metals, fuel) straight into stable orbit. No engines onboard. No staging. Just… yeet.
Humans and heirlooms? Don’t worry, rockets still get aisle three. But for tonnage-scale dumb mass, maybe we just need a giant orbital potato gun.
Yes, it’s ridiculous. Yes, it needs ~30–100 km of evacuated track and a lot of magnets. But the physics check out (posted the math + full article here [Yeet tech]). Even if it never gets built, I figured it’s better to release the idea into the wild than let it sit in my notes.
At worst → you all roast me.
At best → someone starts sketching orbital catching systems with regen braking.
Either way, maybe it’s time to let Yeet Tech™ run free.
Live long and prosper
🚀 Yeet Tech™ — A Maglev Vacuum Railgun for Orbit (maybe it’s time we yeet stuff to space?)
byu/Wizzzzzzzzzzz inFuturology
9 Comments
Have you heard of SpinLaunch?
Also, check out https://youtu.be/lWYn5hl4QWg?si=neX5KT5HI0qhUcPp for why your suggestion isn’t especially plausible.Â
The power required to fire this would be enormous, let alone where that much track could be built (has to be near coastline, in case of mistakes).
Firing things into space is hardly a new idea. In fact it is usually everyone’s first idea. It just doesn’t work.
So, here’s a question: how do you keep a tube that’s open on one end vacuum? Or does your payload just blast through the vacuum seal?
If you work with a seal that opens at the last second, your payload will be hit with a shockwave right before it exits the tube. I’m not capable of doing the math on that, but I can imagine it will impact the speed and flight path significantly. Not to mention how it will likely severely damage the payload itself, unless it’s sealed in purpose built containers.
If we’re discussing impossible engineering, it’s also worth mentioning “launch loops” here: [Isaac Arthur, “Launch Loops”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1MAg0UAAHg)
You would still need a tiny rocket for a circulation burn and and a sturdy heat shield to escape the atmosphere. But yes the physics checks out. The economics don’t make sense yet. This and other tech will be more viable after Starship has been online for a few decades. (I.e. Laser heat exchanger launch, sub oribital to a rotating tether, launch loops, etc.)
Great! Now all you need to do is convince people to risk billions so you ca build it!
Got a gofundme? I am sure people will donate what they can spare for your detailed plan.
Ooo! How about a Kickstarter to be the first to ride on it?
I am for it. The moon is a harsh mistress, is a favorite book of mine. We need to ship large tonnage into space in a way that prevents more space junk. We will also need one on the moon to send stuff back, but it will be easier with the lower gravity and lack of atmosphere.
Miles of evacuated tunnels are an engineering nightmare. The longest one in the world isn’t even half a km long. I think a space elevator is more feasible than this, particularly when you factor in the air resistance upon leaving the vacuum tunnel. Tortoise beats hare.