Figure 1. Block diagram of lunar mass-driver for launching of lunar materials at >10° tons/year. (Modified from Chilton et. al., AIAA Progress Series, Vol. 57, 1977, p. 40) Figure 3. Mass-driver geometry. A portion of the drive windings for one of three phases is shown. Forward portion of bucket superconducting loop appears with thermal shield removed. Payload and support not shown. (After Chilton et. al., op. cit., p. 42) BRAID Figure 2. Mass-driver bucket. Frame is cut away to show superconducting braid. Note payload constraint/release system. (Modified from Chilton et. al., op. cit., p. 50) Figure 4. Electromagnetic fins for passive magnetic damping of bucket oscillations. Top, bucket is shown in end view with payload and restraint removed. Bucket oscillatory motions (resolvable into cruciform components) induce eddy currents in fins owing to adjacent currents I, thus damping these motions. Bottom, mechanical design of fin as a crossbraced rectangular conductor. Note that adoption of this concept will force redesign of the mass-driver/bucket concept of Figs. 2, 3.
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