1. May 10, 2015 #1

   yrjosmiel73

   

   Sure, it sounds silly, because it is. But would it work? Say, would the rockets use less fuel?
   
   And yes, I'm horrible at starting threads.

    

   yrjosmiel73, May 10, 2015
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3. May 10, 2015 #2

   CheesyPeeps

   

   If we had a long enough, strong enough ramp, then maybe. However, the ramp would have to be so steep that it'd hardly be worth using when it's possible for a rocket to take off vertically.
   So to answer your question, it could be possible, but it would not be worthwhile.

    

   CheesyPeeps, May 10, 2015
4. May 10, 2015 #3

   mfb

   

   Insights Author

   2017 Award

   Staff: Mentor

   There are some ideas. Even a rocket sled could help, if you can refuel and reuse the sled easily. First stages burn fuel in the range of tons/second, if you can accelerate the rocket on a ramp for 10-20 seconds the rocket can get much smaller and cheaper or carry more payload at the same size.
   The downside is the increased complexity, and you need some large mountain nearby.

    

   mfb, May 10, 2015

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