Could you build a catapault powerful enough to launch stuff into space?
Such a catapult would need to be so large that I doubt that there are any materials strong enough (including carbon nanofibers) to make it from. And, as noted, the G forces required for a such a launch system would kill people instantly…and would also make it extremely difficult to design equipment that could likewise withstand such forces. You would also need a heat shield since you would have to release your payload at such an extreme velocity…not just orbital velocity either, since you also have to overcome the atmospheric drag that would slow you down on the way up. In short, the idea sounds cool, but it would be difficult to imagine a less efficient method.
