Advanced MagLev propulsion system and its economic impact

Rocketry can be considered as the enabler of more or less all space technologies. It's ability to deliver satellites at reasonable costs has made us dependent on this delivery mechanism to fulfill our daily tasks, be it communications, satellite navigation, visual entertainment or weather forecasting. Scientifically, advances in rocketry have enabled us to view the ever-expanding universe. It's most significant impact however comes in the form of manned spaceflight vehicles such as the Space Shuttle, Soyuz and now Space Ship One. A significant development is greater commercialization of manned rocketry, helping provide widespread access to space. Most rocket designs use some form of chemical propellant as their dominant fuel source, primarily as combustion of these propellants provides ample power at limited costs. However, over the last decade as the price of chemical propellants continues to soar and their detrimental effect on our environment comes to light, there has been significant interest in developing an alternative propulsion mechanism to power a new generation of space vehicles. There is now, more than ever, the need for a greener technology, which is capable of providing a similar power output without compromising on safety and reliability. This paper proposes the use of magnetic levitation and propulsion within a vacuum chamber as that technology. It aims to prove that such a system, located strategically close to the equator, is capable of providing adequate thrust to future space vehicles, be it for space tourism or exploration. Although, inception and creation of such a system may seem radical and expensive, the long-term costs are relatively lower than current day systems.