[Deaf Smith]

1000 mph = 1466.667 fps…pistol range velocity.

5000mph = 7333.333 fps.

The M1A1 firing a sabot round is 3500 mph which is 5133.333 fps.

The Remington 30-06 accelerator fires a .223 at 4000 fps (which I have no idea where that pill went to).

Will 7333.333 fps over come air friction and gravity to make Earth orbit?

[algore]

Well, the acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.8 m/s2

The radius of the earth, R = 6.4 × 106 m

The escape velocity of the earth, ve = √2 × 9.8 × 6.4 × 106

Therefore, ve = 11.2 × 103 m/s = 11.2 km/s

So escape velocity is around 11,200 m/s. or 36,745 fps

[alexander_busek]

The company plans on building a larger version of the accelerator, which is capable of launching a payload in excess of 440 pounds (200 kg) and at speeds of over 5,000 miles an hour, plenty of speed to reach low earth orbit.

The minimum velocity required to achieve low-earth orbit is 18,000 mph. (Even discounting the problem of air friction.)

The author of this piece probably flunked 8th-grade Science class.

Regards,

[Svartalfiar]

Will 7333.333 fps over come air friction and gravity to make Earth orbit?

Ignoring drag (impossible to calculate without knowing altitude of the launcher, or shape/drag coeff of the projectile, etc), 5000 mph will get you about 250 mi against gravity, so certainly enough to reach low Earth orbit. But like my post above mentions, where's the ~15,000 mph they need laterally to STAY in orbit coming from?