forspace,<br /><br />Adding rockets to any vehicle which is attempting to enter orbit is certainly going to improve the chances of success. Magnetic launchers are not considered practical for use on Earth because of the dense atmosphere. Although there are ideas for using them on Earth, the problem lies in the fact that velocities much greater than about 1000 miles per hour (1666 kph) cannot be safely acheived close to sea level. You have to climb about 5 miles (8 kilometers) before it is safe to travel that fast.<br /><br />Perhaps one of the most promising methods of launching is called airborne launching, where a carrier aircraft hauls the spaceship up to about 50,000 feet, or about 8 miles, and then lets it go, to ascend to orbit seperately. SpaceShip One was launched this way. This allows using the densest part of the atmosphere to help get the rocketship high enough to be the most effective, where there is very little air.<br /><br />Almost all launches currently use step-rockets, which have different stages, which are dropped as the fuel in each stage is used up. The space shuttle uses two solid fueled rockets to help it get to orbit. They seperate at about 130,000 feet, and parachute back down into the ocean, where they are recovered to be used again. The shuttle has to throttle its engines back right after take-off, so that it will not get going too fast before it has climbed a few miles. This is to prevent the vehicle from being torn apart by the atmosphere.<br /><br />Not until we get to the Moon, where there is no atmosphere, are magnetic launchers likely to be used. The Moon is a perfect place to use them, because the gravity there is very weak, in addition to there being no atmosphere. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>