NASA explores electromagnetic space launches
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/01/03/maglev.launches/index.html
The thing I don't get is they only have $30,000 for the next phase. Why isn't this part of SLI with the hundreds of millions of dollars allocated under that program? (When it comes to NASA, I ask "Why? WHY? W-H-Y?" a lot.)