ONR's railgun hits milestone

ARLINGTON, Va - Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory hit a materials research milestone in the Office of Naval Research's Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) program when they fired a laboratory-scale system for the 1,000th time Oct. 31. The EMRG is a long-range weapon that launches projectiles using electricity instead of chemical propellants. Launched at up to 5,600 mph, the projectile reaches its target at speeds that require only a small charge like that found in automobile airbags to dispense its payload, eliminating the objective through kinetic energy. The railgun launches projectiles by generating magnetic fields created by high electrical currents that accelerate a sliding metal conductor, or armature, between two rails. NRL has experimented with a variety of materials and geometries to determine which ones can withstand the metal-melting temperatures and pressures. Scientists have been working to increase the railgun's barrel life, muzzle energy and size. The goal is for a 64-megajoule railgun with a range of about 220 nautical miles. (Source: NNS, 10/31/11) Note: The Naval Research Lab has a detachment at Stennis Space Center, Miss.