Reply to post: Re: RE: ArrZarr

India: Yeah, we would like to 3D-print igloos on the Moon

Alan Brown Silver badge

Re: RE: ArrZarr

"Railguns are still only found as prototypes "

Railguns have a tendency to self destruct (magnetic flux forcing the rails apart), but their top speed is only limited by atmospheric friction. That "blowing themselves apart" problem has been around since the Nazis started playing with them in the 1930s and the USA hasn't solved the problem yet (although China may have done. They're not publicly claiming it yet, but it looks like they've actually put a railgun on a ship, which nobody else has ever done.)

Linear accelerators don't go quite so fast but they don't tend to fly apart. They can go more than fast enough to reach lunar escape velocity.

None of this matters for the subject at hand. Biological waste is valuable enough that you'd want to retain and recycle it on a lunar colony, not dump it. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and There Aint No Such Thing as a Free Lunch.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon