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The Eddy Current Brake to Orbit is the central feature of a proposed spacecraft carrier that receives spacecraft into orbit as an aircraft carrier receives aircraft that land on its deck. A long slotted aluminum tube orbits Luna, and a shuttle launched to orbital altitude enters the slot while the tube moves past at orbital speed. The shuttle only needs to reach orbital altitude to enter the tube — as little as 10 kilometers above Luna at perilune, reachable with about 188 m/s of mission delta-v. Magnetic flux from permanent magnets on the shuttle is directed at the tube walls, creating repulsive and retarding forces that bring the shuttle up to near orbital speed without contact; friction braking supplies the final 18 m/s to match velocity. ...(read more)
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