How do you cope with the fact that bard and ChatGPT can design tech that doesn't exist?
>how big would a railgun have to be and how much power would it have to consume to launch a 1 ton payload into orbit
The size and power requirements of a railgun that can launch a 1 ton payload into orbit depend on a number of factors, including the muzzle velocity of the railgun, the efficiency of the power supply, and the length of the railgun. However, a rough estimate can be made using the following equations:
Muzzle velocity: The muzzle velocity of the railgun is the speed at which the payload exits the railgun. For a 1 ton payload, the muzzle velocity would need to be at least 7,800 meters per second (28,000 feet per second) in order to reach low Earth orbit.
Power supply efficiency: The efficiency of the power supply is the percentage of the power input that is converted into kinetic energy of the payload. A typical railgun power supply has an efficiency of 50%.
Length of the railgun: The length of the railgun is the distance that the payload travels while being accelerated by the electromagnetic field. The longer the railgun, the greater the acceleration and the higher the muzzle velocity.
Using these equations, we can estimate that a railgun that can launch a 1 ton payload into orbit would need to be at least 10 kilometers long and would require a power supply that can output at least 10 gigawatts. This is a very large and powerful railgun, and it is not yet clear whether such a railgun is feasible. However, the development of railgun technology is ongoing, and it is possible that such a railgun could be built in the future.