ruane@andromeda.rutgers.edu.rutgers.edu (Michael T Ruane Sr) (09/08/89)
Howdy net folk-
With all this talk of low cost launchers and laser powered
launch systems, I was wondering if anyone has read _The
Big Lifters_ by Dean Ing? He is a engineer-turned-writer.
This book deals with (among other things) a low cost launcher
which piggyback launches off of a mag-lev train, and gets a boost
from a ground-based laser. Good reading about a possible not-so-
distant future (1995)
In the introduction he acknowledges LLNL and there work on laser
propulsion systems. Has anybody in real life thought about matching
these two (or other) systems?
And although this may be the wrong newsgroup, does anybody have
any information about Mr. Ing?
One other question, what is AMROC up to? When will they launch?
Kaor!
Mike Ruane