A railgun uses electromagnets instead of explosions to propel a bullet (mini-missile, really, though not explosive). They can get up to several times the speed of sound, so that's quite effective. A highly aero-dynamic bullet went four miles at ground level after having punched through a 1/8" steel plate.
It'll be interesting to see what civilian spin-offs come from this in the future, usually there are some. Surely such power can be used constructively.
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One possible use of the technology is as a launching platform for satellites, either to replace the first rocket stage, or, if powerful enough, to put the entire package into orbit.
Robert Heinlein, the SF author, envisioned this type of launching system in several of his SF works.
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