Clean Energy from Garbage?

Joseph Longo's Plasma Converter turns our most vile and toxic trash into clean energy – and promises to make a relic of the landfill

The entire thing takes up about as much space as a two-car garage, surprisingly compact for a machine that can consume nearly any type of waste—from dirty diapers to chemical weapons—by annihilating toxic materials in a process as old as the universe itself. Called plasma gasification, it works a little like the big bang, only backward (you get nothing from something). Inside a sealed vessel made of stainless steel and filled with a stable gas—either pure nitrogen or, as in this case, ordinary air—a 650-volt current passing between two electrodes rips electrons from the air, converting the gas into plasma. Current flows continuously through this newly formed plasma, creating a field of extremely intense energy very much like lightning. The radiant energy of the plasma arc is so powerful, it disintegrates trash into its constituent elements by tearing apart molecular bonds. The system is capable of breaking down pretty much anything except nuclear waste, the isotopes of which are indestructible. The only by-products are an obsidian-like glass used as a raw material for numerous applications, including bathroom tiles and high-strength asphalt, and a synthesis gas, or “syngas”—a mixture of primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide that can be converted into a variety of marketable fuels, including ethanol, natural gas and hydrogen.

Perhaps the most amazing part of the process is that it’s self-sustaining. Just like your toaster, Startech’s Plasma Converter draws its power from the electrical grid to get started. The initial voltage is about equal to the zap from a police stun gun. But once the cycle is under way, the 2,200˚F syngas is fed into a cooling system, generating steam that drives turbines to produce electricity. About two thirds of the power is siphoned off to run the converter; the rest can be used on-site for heating or electricity, or sold back to the utility grid. “Even a blackout would not stop the operation of the facility,” Longo says.

It all sounds far too good to be true. But the technology works. Over the past decade, half a dozen companies have been developing plasma technology to turn garbage into energy. “The best renewable energy is the one we complain about the most: municipal solid waste,” says Louis Circeo, the director of plasma research at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “It will prove cheaper to take garbage to a plasma plant than it is to dump it on a landfill.” A Startech machine that costs roughly $250 million could handle 2,000 tons of waste daily, approximately what a city of a million people amasses in that time span. Large municipalities typically haul their trash to landfills, where the operator charges a “tipping fee” to dump the waste. The national average is $35 a ton, although the cost can be more than twice that in the Northeast (where land is scarce, tipping fees are higher). And the tipping fee a city pays doesn’t include the price of trucking the garbage often hundreds of miles to a landfill or the cost of capturing leaky methane—a greenhouse gas—from the decomposing waste. In a city with an average tipping fee, a $250-million converter could pay for itself in about 10 years, and that’s without factoring in the money made from selling the excess electricity and syngas. After that break-even point, it’s pure profit.

Someday very soon, cities might actually make money from garbage.

Check out the article at Popular Science.

A very impressive invention! With this machine, we'll be able to generate clean energy and reduce the amount of waste that we put in the environment. It's a win-win situation!

Equally impressive is the fact that Sci-fi writers thought of this idea 20 years ago for the movie Back to the Future.

Mardi Gras 2007

The tradition of Mardi Gras is celebrated annually around the world. Its origins can be traced back more than 5000 years ago to the ancient Greeks.

Also known as "Fat Tuesday," this pre-Lenten festival is celebrated in Roman Catholic countries and communities. In a strict sense, Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday, is celebrated by the French as the last of the three days of Shrovetide and is a time of preparation immediately before Ash Wednesday and the start of the fast of Lent. Mardi Gras is thus the last opportunity for merrymaking and indulgence in food and drink. In practice, the festival is generally celebrated for one full week before Lent. Mardi Gras is marked by spectacular parades featuring floats, pageants, elaborate costumes, masked balls, and people dancing in the streets.

Mardi Gras originated as one of the series of carnival days held in all Roman Catholic countries between Twelfth Night, or Epiphany, and Ash Wednesday; these carnivals had their origin in pre-Christian spring fertility rites. The most famous modern Mardi Gras festivities are those held in New Orleans, La.; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Nice, France; and Cologne, Germany.

The first American Mardi Gras was celebrated near modern-day New Orleans on March 3, 1699. It wasn't until the mid-1800s did official parade organizations start to form with the Mystick Krewe of Comus in 1856 and the Krewe of Rex in 1872. The tradition is still carried on in New Orleans with many other krewes represented on floats in a myriad of parades. The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold (representing justice, faith and power).

Mardi Gras celebrations can start as early as January 6, on the feast of Epiphany. The festivities end at midnight on Tuesday--the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Mardi Gras day falls on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9. Like Ash Wednesday, the date Mardi Gras falls on depends on the date of Easter--always occurring 46 days before Easter.

Check out the feature at The History Channel.

We took to the streets to enjoy the parades and a little public drunkiness... and no rain this year! Above you'll see a photo of the cool beads I caught from the various parades. Note: These are only the "special" ones... we came home with bags full of good throws. We had a blast!!!

Many people find the variety of dates that Mardi Gras day can fall on to be very confusing, since the date is dependent on the full moon and the spring equinox... so check out Future Mardi Gras Dates for an detailed explanation.

Also check out the Mardi Gras Wikipedia entry for some good info.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Presidents Day

The original version of the holiday was in commemoration of George Washington's birthday in 1796 (the last full year of his presidency). Washington, according to the calendar that has been used since at least the mid-18th century, was born on February 22, 1732. According to the old style calendar in use back then, however, he was born on February 11. At least in 1796, many Americans celebrated his birthday on the 22nd while others marked the occasion on the 11th instead.

By the early 19th century, Washington's Birthday had taken firm root in the American experience as a bona fide national holiday. Its traditions included Birthnight Balls in various regions, speeches and receptions given by prominent public figures, and a lot of revelry in taverns throughout the land. Then along came Abraham Lincoln, another revered president and fellow February baby (born on the 12th of the month). The first formal observance of his birthday took place in 1865, the year after his assassination, when both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address. While Lincoln's Birthday did not become a federal holiday like George Washington's, it did become a legal holiday in several states.

In 1968, legislation (HR 15951) was enacted that affected several federal holidays. One of these was Washington's Birthday, the observation of which was shifted to the third Monday in February each year whether or not it fell on the 22nd. This act, which took effect in 1971, was designed to simplify the yearly calendar of holidays and give federal employees some standard three-day weekends in the process.

Apparently, while the holiday in February is still officially known as Washington's Birthday (at least according to the Office of Personnel Management), it has become popularly (and, perhaps in some cases at the state level, legally) known as "President's Day." This has made the third Monday in February a day for honoring both Washington and Lincoln, as well as all the other men who have served as president.

Check out the article at Patriotism.org.

Be sure to check out The Presidents of the United States for some very interesting history on each of our Presidents.

American Experience: New Orleans

Nearly a year and a half after Hurricane Katrina, a PBS documentary dares to ask “What Would America Be Like Without New Orleans?”

“American Experience: New Orleans,” a two-hour program focusing on the distinctive city’s past and how it relates to its present, was born out of the devastating storm, its director, Stephen Ives, said Tuesday from Dallas.

Ives said soon after the hurricane, his colleagues at “American Experience” discussed how they could contribute to the cause of helping New Orleans, how to provide some historical context for why the city meant so much to America.

“It was really an unthinkable thing that happened,” Ives said. “A major American city had basically been wiped off the map and it had provoked a previously unthinkable question which was ‘What would America be like without New Orleans?’ ”

Ives and his team set out to answer that question from a historical point of view in a project that was put together in a year for timeliness considerations. Most “Experience” pieces take up to a year and a half, he said.

The program weaves past and present through archival footage, photographs and interviews with New Orleans natives and scholars intermingled with footage of the city today, including the lingering aftermath of the destruction. There are also cinema verité-style portraits of New Orleanians including restaurateur Leah Chase and stonemason Teddy Pierre. The people and their history paint a picture of the unprecedented cultural mixing which makes the Big Easy so unique, he said.

Being in New Orleans for filming starting in December 2005 was an experience in itself, he said.

“I sometimes felt like I had been dropped down in a sort of American Chernobyl and was being asked to sort of glean the story of this place from the ruins. And that was a really difficult part of the process because you’d be reading about vibrant neighborhoods that now were anything but vibrant, were haunted and spectral.”

“Experience” camera crews ventured into the most heavily hit areas for some of their present-day footage.

On the positive side, “Experience” tried to capture the unparalleled spirit of the city’s people, with its portraits of Chase rebuilding her landmark restaurant which for a time, she says in the program, was the only place where blacks could dine out; and stonemason Teddy Pierre, who also returned to his beloved city and livelihood. The irreverent Krewe D’Vieux, the first Carnival group to parade after Katrina, and the music and words of jazz musician Irvin Mayfield are also featured.

“The spirit (of the New Orleans people) is absolutely infectious and strong, such an incredible sense of place that people feel. They have been willing to put down the deepest roots in the most unstable soil and that sense of attachment is really palpable.”

Ives, who had only briefly passed through the city several years ago, said he fell in love with New Orleans during his time there. He returned last week for the program’s premiere and to hopefully see some progress since his last visit.

Ives said he hopes viewers come away with a greater appreciation for what New Orleans has given the country.

“And with a keen sense of what a remarkable, rich and multifaceted culture the city has created in a time when so much of America looks soooooo much the same. New Orleans is a place that has not only preserved but celebrated its difference, its sense of its own identity. I think that’s a great and important part of who we are. I think we should recognize how precious and fragile and important that symbol really is.”

Check out the article at The Advocate.

Check out the program tonight on PBS, from 8-10pm CST or check out the online feature: American Experience: New Orleans at PBS.org.

I think it's a good thing that some positive light is being shed on New Orleans and her history. So many people are tired of hearing about Katrina... maybe this show will give everyone a taste of the spice that is New Orleans!

Grand Canyon Skywalk?

Members of a Native American group based in a remote part of Arizona are hoping to entice more tourists by inviting visitors to step off the edge of the Grand Canyon.

The 1,500-member Hualapai tribe announced last week that the Skywalk—a giant, 30-million-dollar steel-and-glass walkway—will open to the public in March 2007.

The Skywalk will jut out 70 feet (21 meters) from the canyon rim, allowing tourists to go for a stroll with nothing between their feet and the Colorado River—4,000 feet (1,220 meters) below—except for four inches (ten centimeters) of glass.

The Hualapai, or "People of the Tall Pines," are working with the Las Vegas, Nevada-based Destination Grand Canyon to market the Skywalk and draw in valuable tourist dollars.

Many other tribes have turned their government-sanctioned right to run casinos into a major revenue source. But the Hualapai's remote location has undermined their efforts to host gambling.

"This is what's going to feed our tribe."

Grand Roll Out

The Skywalk will be accessible through Grand Canyon West, the tribe's once-humble tourist destination. Although Grand Canyon National Park along the south rim sees about four million tourists a year, until recently Grand Canyon West hosted only about 125,000 visitors.

To help bolster their numbers, the tribe agreed to build the Skywalk, which will eventually be joined by a three-story visitors' center, including a restaurant with patio seating along the canyon.

Mark Johnson, of Las Vegas-based MRJ Architects, has been working on the Skywalk for about three years, beginning with a lengthy design phase.

"There really is no building type for this," Johnson said.

He and a team of tribal consultants, engineers, and geologists started with the idea to build a single, straight walkway that would have stuck out from the canyon wall like a diving board.

They moved through several more design concepts before settling on a U-shaped walkway.

Sometime before opening day in March, the behemoth structure will be rolled out at a rate of half an inch (1.3 centimeters) a minute on tracks while concrete weights anchor the back.

When it's in place, the Skywalk will be anchored to giant poles drilled 40 feet (12 meters) into the canyon wall. Only 120 people will be allowed on the walkway at a time.

Johnson says the rock wall, not the walkway's design, is the wild card that could determine the Skywalk's life span.

At that height, the wall is made of 350-million-year-old limestone—porous material that is highly prone to erosion.

Geologists have a simple explanation for the formation of the Grand Canyon: the Colorado River cuts down through the rock, and the canyon's sides fall in.

Periodic rockfalls are an accepted and unpredictable reality. Johnson said there's no way to tell whether the part of the canyon that will support the Skywalk will last a hundred years or a thousand.

Check out the article at National Geographic.

Talk about going out on a limb... I sure hope those architects know what they're doing!

I think it will be really cool to go out on this thing and get a view of the Grand Canyon from directly above... but there's no way I'm going on this thing when it's up to full capacity! I'll just wait 'til the off-season, or right before they close for the day.

Be sure to check out the construction photos from the project at Snopes.com.

Martian Terraforming

The interests of the Mars Society—an organization with the overarching goal of colonizing Mars—tend to elicit snickers from non-space fans. Why talk about building homes on Mars when we have problems on Earth like war, bird flu, AIDS and global warming? To the Mars enthusiast, these scourges simply count among the reasons to ditch this rock and head for the Red Planet.

Robert Zubrin, the founder of the Mars Society, likes to point out that Columbus encountered similar resistance from noobs when he pointed across the Atlantic. But Zubrin isn’t a seafarer—he's a scientist, with calculations that say people could create an oxygen atmosphere on Mars in just over 1,000 years. Compare that with other scientists’ predictions of 20,000 or 100,000 years, and he might seem like he's peddling interplanetary snake oil, but there’s no denying that his scheme for “terraforming” is thoroughly conceived.

Click here for an illustrated guide to Zubrin’s six-step plan for inhabiting Mars.

Check out the article at Popular Science.

I like Zubrin's ideas and I'm all for the future efforts to colonize and terraform Mars. In fact, I'd love to visit the red planet one day... I don't know about living there, but at least an extended vacation.

Well, we're definitely headed in the right direction. With NASA's recent announcement of a Permanent Moon Base, we'll have a great place to stage Mars missions from! Hopefully Mars Bases and terraforming will progress quickly from there.

The very idea of terraforming is fascinating! Check out the Terraforming Wiki Page for an interesting read, cool pics and other links.

If this is a subject that interests you, I highly recommend Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy - consisting of Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. In this awesome work of science fiction, Robinson delves into the technological, social and political aspects in a realistic future of Martian colonization and terraforming. You'll find no light-sabres or warp drives in these books... just down-to-earth, well-written sci-fi!!!

Hypersonic Cruise Missile?

THE MISSION:
Attack anywhere in the world in less than an hour.
But is America's New Global Strike Weapon
a critical new method for hitting elusive targets,
or a good way to set off a nuclear war?

A tip sets the plan in motion — a whispered warning of a North Korean nuclear launch, or of a shipment of biotoxins bound for a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon. Word races through the American intelligence network until it reaches U.S. Strategic Command headquarters, the Pentagon and, eventually, the White House. In the Pacific, a nuclear-powered Ohio class submarine surfaces, ready for the president's command to launch.

When the order comes, the sub shoots a 65-ton Trident II ballistic missile into the sky. Within 2 minutes, the missile is traveling at more than 20,000 ft. per second. Up and over the oceans and out of the atmosphere it soars for thousands of miles. At the top of its parabola, hanging in space, the Trident's four warheads separate and begin their screaming descent down toward the planet. Traveling as fast as 13,000 mph, the warheads are filled with scored tungsten rods with twice the strength of steel. Just above the target, the warheads detonate, showering the area with thousands of rods-each one up to 12 times as destructive as a .50-caliber bullet. Anything within 3000 sq. ft. of this whirling, metallic storm is obliterated.

If Pentagon strategists get their way, there will be no place on the planet to hide from such an assault. The plan is part of a program — in slow development since the 1990s, and now quickly coalescing in military circles — called Prompt Global Strike. It will begin with modified Tridents. But eventually, Prompt Global Strike could encompass new generations of aircraft and armaments five times faster than anything in the current American arsenal. One candidate: the X-51 hypersonic cruise missile, which is designed to hit Mach 5 — roughly 3600 mph. The goal, according to the U.S. Strategic Command's deputy commander Lt. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, is "to strike virtually anywhere on the face of the Earth within 60 minutes."

The question is whether such an attack can be deployed without triggering World War III: Those tungsten-armed Tridents look, and fly, exactly like the deadliest weapons in the American nuclear arsenal.

Check out the article at Popular Mechanics.

I think it's very important for America to have far-reaching non-nuclear weapons technology. Currently, our best weapons (nukes) are total overkill... especially in the War on Terror. I'm all for this new technology... we just have to figure out this little problem of potentially setting off WWIII.

Spanish Town Mardi Gras 2007

There are going to be a lot of floats
featuring jolly old St. "Money-Bags" Nick

It's time once again to roll out the pink carpet for the Baton Rouge Spanish Town parade!

Although the theme is wide open this year, one thing is for certain... we will be seeing a lot of Nick Saban! His face will be plastered on the side of many a float, in many tasteless ways!

I can't wait!!!

Check out the Spanish Town Mardi Gras website.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Remote Controlled Warfare!

Military commanders use tactics and strategy in combat to inflict as much damage on the enemy while trying to risk as few personnel and resources as possible. This principle was at the heart of the development of the RQ-1 and MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

These high-tech aircraft, controlled by a crew miles away from the dangers of combat, are capable of reconnaissance, combat and support roles in the hairiest of battles. In a worst-case scenario, if a Predator is lost in battle, military personal can simply "crack another one out of the box" and have it up in the air shortly -- and that's without the trauma of casualties or prisoners normally associated with an aircraft going down.

In May 1998 General Atomics was awarded a Block 1 Upgrade contract to expand the capabilities of the Predator system. System upgrades include development of an improved Relief-On-Station (ROS) system which allows continuous coverage over areas of interest without any loss of time on station, secure air traffic control voice relay, Ku-band satellite tuning and implementation of an Air Force Mission Support System (AFMSS).

The upgrade also covers a more powerful turbocharged engine and wing de-icing systems to enable year-round operations. The upgraded Predator, the MQ-9 Reaper Hunter/Killer, has been operational in the Balkans since April 2001. In March 2005, the USAF awarded a further contract for the System Design & Development (SDD) of MQ-9. 15 MQ-9 have been ordered and eight delivered to the USAF. A decision on full-rate production is expected in 2009.

The Predator B has an operational ceiling of 50,000ft and maximum internal payload of 800lb and external payload over 3,000lb. Predator B (MQ-9 Reaper hunter/killer) has been flight tested with Hellfire II anti-armour missiles and can carry up to 14 missiles. The MQ-9 will also be able to deploy the GBU-12 and EGBU-12 bombs and 500lb GBU-38 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition). MQ-9 flight trials have also taken place with the General Atomics Lynx SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) payload. Lynx also features ground moving target indicator technology. The Predator is to be flight tested with a L-3 Communications Tactical Common Datalink (TCDL).

The UAV ground control station is built into a single 30ft trailer, containing pilot and payload operator consoles, three Boeing data exploitation and mission planning consoles and two synthetic aperture radar workstations together with satellite and line-of-sight ground data terminals. The mission can be controlled through line-of-site data links or through Ku-band satellite links to produce continuous video.

The USAF has also ordered two versions of Predator B with turbofan jet engines, to be known as Predator C. First flight of the Predator C is expected in early 2007.

Check out the article at HowStuffWorks.com.

Check out the article at Airforce Technology.

I bet it would be really cool to fly one of these! It couldn't be any tougher than the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator game, right? I'm waiting for a civilian model that can be flown from your home computer!

If you think this is cool... just wait until you see the Predator's little brother, the Dominator (which is smaller, more expendable, and travels in groups of 100) and the concept for the new UCAV!

Geaux Saints!

After a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, the New Orleans Saints (11-6) go on the road to take on the Chicago Bears (14-3) in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field this Sunday. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Saints have advanced to the conference championship and will play for the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl.

The Saints defeated the Eagles, 27-24, at the Louisiana Superdome last Saturday. RB Deuce McAllister, the club's all-time leading rusher, had perhaps the finest day of his storied career in New Orleans, running for 143 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown and adding four receptions for 20 yards and another TD.

He carried several defenders into the end zone in the third quarter on a five-yard burst, eventually crossing the goal line without his helmet. The two touchdowns gave McAllister, a six year veteran, 50 for his career. McAllister was the leader of a rushing attack that set a club playoff record with 208 yards against a stout Philadelphia defense.

Rookie sensation RB Reggie Bush had 52 yards on 12 carries and a four-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Bush, who set an NFL rookie record with 88 receptions in the regular season, added three catches for 22 yards and also returned a trio of punts for 21 yards.

QB Drew Brees, who threw for over 300 yards eight times in 2006 and led the NFL with a team-record 4,418 passing yards, completed 20 of 32 for 243 yards against the Eagles. His passer rating of 96.2 marked the 13th contest of the season where he posted an efficiency of 90.0 or better.

While the efforts of Brees, McAllister, Bush, rookie wide receiver Marques Colston and the rest of what was the NFL's No. 1 ranked offense in the regular season have been well documented throughout 2006, the defense quietly had another strong outing against the Eagles.

The unit stiffened when it mattered most, holding Philadelphia to only three points in the fourth quarter. The Eagles' first march of the final quarter stalled at the New Orleans 4 and they settled for a field goal. Philadelphia's next two drives went three-and-out, including a key possession where the Eagles were forced to punt with 1:56 remaining in the contest after recovering a fumble near midfield. After three rugged runs by McAllister for a first down, Philadelphia would not get the ball back.

Chicago also enters Sunday's contest following a 27-24 win, an overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field. K Robbie Gould, who defeated the Saints with a last-second kick in 2005, drilled a 49-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Bears into the NFC Championship Game vs. New Orleans.

The Saints and Bears have played 22 times in the regular season, with the series tied at 11- 11. The two clubs have also met once in the postseason, a Wild Card Playoff at Soldier Field in 1990 that was a 16-6 victory for Chicago.

Check out the Official New Orleans Saints website.

It's going to be cold in Chicago this weekend, but it'll be even colder in hell if we can win the Super Bowl!

Geaux Saints!

UPDATE: 1/22/07
The Saints lost to the Bears yesterday. Oh well, I'll be rooting for them next year...

Thanks for a memorable season, Saints...
the closest we've ever come to a Super Bowl!

Space Slingshot?

Forget rockets!
All you need to launch a satellite is
a sled and a giant magnetic slingshot

Astronauts are trained to withstand as much as nine times the force of gravity. (Three Gs, by comparison, could make the average guy pass out.) But even the toughest among them fall out of the running when it comes to a launch concept from a small civilian company in Goleta, California. To survive the ride on Launchpoint Technologies’s invention, the payload has to be able to survive a brain-splattering 10,000 Gs.

The design calls for a high-speed accelerator that whips a projectile as heavy as 220 pounds around a circular 1.5-mile-radius vacuum tunnel. Powerful electromagnetic motors inside the tunnel will accelerate the unit, strapped to a magnetic sled, in circles until it reaches a velocity of six miles per second and then will eject the projectile from a launch ramp into space.

The system is still just an idea on paper, but the U.S. Air Force has awarded Launchpoint a two-year, $500,000 grant to prove it can work. Project leader Jim Fiske, an expert in magnetic levitation, believes that the magnetic forces would counteract the pulverizing G-forces generated by radial acceleration and prevent the sled from touching the tunnel wall.

As for the system’s cost, its low power requirements would allow spy micro-satellites to be slung into orbit for $50,000, a small fraction of the current $5-million launch cost. That explains the Air Force’s interest, but the system could also be a boon for space exploration. An inexpensive magnet-propelled pipeline could toss construction materials, food and other basic resources into orbit to supply tomorrow’s space colonies. “You could send a block of aluminum, water or even frozen mashed potatoes,” Fiske suggests—anything durable enough to handle the stress.

Fiske says a demonstration device could be ready in four years and will probably be located on a dry lake bed at the Department of Energy’s Nevada Test Site. But future launch rings, he adds, could sit near mountain ranges or even float on the ocean.

How it Works

The Sled: The projectile is encased in a protective polycarbonate sabot and attached to a magnetic sled with a Kevlar sheet. When the sled reaches launch speed, a laser slices through the sheet, freeing the projectile to enter the launch ramp.

The Launch: The projectile contains a small rocket engine and avionics that enable it to steer itself into orbit once it escapes Earth’s atmosphere.

The Track: Magnetic motors above and below the vacuum tube create a magnetic field that accelerates the sled to six miles per second.

Check out the article at Popular Science.

What an interesting design concept! If this can be perfected, imagine the amusement park rides of the future!

Not to mention, the amount of money NASA and the Air Force could save and apply to the Moon outpost and Mars missions. I hope they can make it work!