Not a boost straight up to escape velocity, just sufficient added momentum to make a significant economic saving on fuel cost, mass and complexity of a standard launch. It seems ludicrous to me how much fuel in a standard launch appears to be wasted pushing thousands of tonnes of rocket fuel in a vertical direction from a standing start.
The system I envisage would have a horizontal track of possibly 2-3km (distance to be debated), acceleration via external systems (electromag or JATO?), continue up a ramp of slowly increasing gradient, with craft's own engines now running, and exit the ramp at between Mach 1 or 2. Safety run-off track if craft's own engines fail to ignite properly. Winged style craft for stability from ramp & shuttle-style landing.
Similar I know to the Phys.SE 'Rail gun' question here, but acceleration could be more survivable. Had a longer script but it appeared to over-run the site limit. Acknowledge AdamRedwine's railgun question -would have added my contribution to that but my Reputation today is only 1.
Acknowledge Gerry Anderson's Fireball XL5 puppet show on British TV in the '60s - the launch concept has always stayed with me! Submitted for criticism.
