This Superconducting Pulsed Transformer would be an essential component of any gun launch to orbit system using superconducting quench, defined as what happens when a superconducting current suddenly goes non-superconducting. Today, when it becomes necessary to quench a superconductor, it requires quickly boiling off its liquid helium (video here).

Our innovation is to instead convert a superconducting current via a controlled quench into an electromagnetic force that propels a projectile. See a video here of how this might enable low cost Earth to space launch .

However, there is a crucial problem with this video. The narrator says that each superconducting coil would automatically quench, converting its energy into accelerating the launch vehicle. While it is true that each coil as shown in this video would automatically quench, this only would happen once, and likely would release its energy too slowly to effectively accelerate the launch vehicle.. Worse yet, researchers have found that unless a quench is carefully and SLOWLY managed, this will damage the system.

Our solution to enabling fast and repeatable quench operations is the Superconducting Pulsed Transformer which we designed under the DARPA contract "MACE Proof of Concept – Demonstrate Fundamental Physics.” See our final report below, or download it here.

Information on how you could help us to build the first test model of this system --->