Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackArcher101
I fail to see how it doesn't lose hydrogen gas each time it shoots?
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Well, they could do it by putting the payload on time of a piston sort of thing that seals the hydrogen. Of course, then they'd have to be able to decelerate the piston from 13,000 mph to 0.
More likely the payload is the piston. All the hydrogen would be behind the payload, they'd just need to stop the flow after the payload is out the tube. Valve needs to close fast, but it doesn't have to open right when the projectile arrrives. When the projectile arrives at the end of the gun, the hydrogen would be decompressed a lot and decompression also cools it. Acceleration would be maxed out when the release valve opens, and decrease from there on out. Even if it does leak a bit, given the high cost of launching stuff into space, you could just make hydrogen to replace the losses and it would still be worth it.