Mass Drivers and Space Development
Mass drivers are important because they provide one of the most efficient
methods for moving material out of planetary gravity wells into outer space.
The major advantage of mass drivers is that much of the propulsion "engine"
and the energy source (chemical/electrical) remain in the gravity well
(on the ground). Mass drivers were largely developed and promoted
during the mid-1970's by the Princeton
physicist Gerard K. O'Neill.
The major reason to develop mass drivers so far has been for the transport
of raw materials from earth or lunar bases into orbit. They have
also been considered in asteroid mining and planetary defense systems.
They also provide an efficient method for planetary
dismantlement.
Mass Driver References
Highly Reusable Space Systems (HRST)
Materials Suppliers
Related Sources
Other Space Resources
Creation date: July 24, 1997
Last Modified: May 10, 2002
HTML Editor: Robert
J. Bradbury
