It’s called SpinLaunch, and it’s a novel way to put small payloads into orbit. The idea of the kinetic energy launch system translated to spinning the payload in the centrifuge to over 1,000 miles per hour before releasing it for the stars.
The concept does not require on-board fuel, so there is no risk of explosion, and since it is entirely electric, it offers a sustainable solution that does not pollute the environment.
“The SpinLaunch Orbital Launch System is a whole new way to get into space,” the company’s website states. “The speed boost provided by the electric drive of the accelerator results in 4 times less fuel required to enter orbit, 10 times less cost, and the ability to launch multiple times a day.”
The test was the eighth major test of the centrifuge, officially called a “suborbital mass accelerator,” and this time a 10-foot-long projectile carrying an “optical payload” (a camera) to capture the view from the projectile.
The video shows the projectile spinning violently as it erupts from the mass accelerator to a maximum test altitude of 25,000 feet (7,620 meters). As such, the video image caused some distaste from viewers, but it turned out to be by design.
Sloping fins on the projectile induce rapid spin to stabilize the projectile during launch to prevent it from tumbling during the 82-second ascent. David Wrenn, SpinLaunch’s vice president of technology, said the results “are like a bullet coming out of a gun.”
Rotary launch
A larger version that launches the payload into orbit
More interestingly, the SpinLaunch suborbital mass accelerator is a test model that has been shrunk by a third, and so far has only fired projectiles at a fraction of the velocities it can achieve. The company plans to build a larger version of the accelerator capable of launching payloads of more than 440 pounds (200 kilograms) at speeds of more than 5,000 miles per hour, enough to reach low-Earth orbit.
While the test was considered a resounding success, the really important milestone was that the camera itself was able to survive the intense G-forces created by raising the mass accelerator to 1,000 mph. Doing this means SpinLaunch will continue to be able to record launches on payloads as they get bigger and heavier, and do so without breaking the camera itself.
The survivability of soon-to-be more advanced and heavier cameras also suggests that sophisticated scientific instruments used in low-Earth orbit will also be able to withstand launch pressure without damage.
Rotary launch
Back in April, NASA and SpinLaunch signed an agreement for NASA to fly the payload using the company’s mass accelerator to test its launch characteristics, with the goal of evaluating the system’s potential future commercial launch opportunities.
SpinLaunch plans to continue advancing the centrifuge launch system, using a stepped approach with larger payloads and higher speeds, launching twice a month. The camera will record every second on board.
The first customer rollout is planned for 2025.
Image Source: Header photo by SpinLaunch