Could US Navy's Railgun Help Tap Moon's Resources?

[Judi Lynn]

By Leonard David 13 hours ago Tech

A powerful "mass driver" could launch moon-mined ore into space.



Artist’s concept of a railgun aboard a ship.(Image: © U.S. Navy)


A new directed-energy weapon could end up aiding exploration of the final frontier.

The U.S. Navy is developing an electromagnetic (EM) "railgun," which will reportedly be tested soon on a warship. That technology may have off-world implications, potentially enabling greater exploration and exploitation of the moon.

The Office of Naval Research work on the EM railgun launcher is being pursued as a long-range weapon that fires projectiles using electricity instead of chemical propellants.

Recent testing of the electromagnetic railgun under Navy auspices had the technology firing a projectile that exceeds Mach 6, approaching a velocity that hearkens back to early ideas of utilizing this machinery on the moon to hurl payloads from the lunar surface.

More:
https://www.space.com/navy-railgun-tests-moon-exploration.html

[eppur_se_muova]

1. A favorite of SF authors, going back decades.

Not sure if the military's high-acceleration, shorter-track technology will extrapolate well to long-track, lower-acceleration needed for fragile or shifting cargo, or humans. But if there's some crossover, it would be nice to see our bloated military budgets producing a side benefit.

[qazplm135]

2. not that I'm defending war per se

I wish it didn't exist at all.

But, the list of civilian applications of military inventions is long, long, long.

[hunter]

3. Lacking plate tectonics and water, the mineral resources of the moon are probably very limited.

The lighter colors of the moon are Anorthosite, the darker areas are Basalt.

https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/apollo-to-the-moon/online/science/lunar-rocks.cfm

There won't be any gold mines on the moon anytime soon.