SpinLaunch wants to launch satellites with a huge centrifugal launcher that accelerates to over 10.000 G.
In the century we live in, there is a new space race, mainly between Tesla (SpaceX) and Amazon (Blue Origin). Both focus on traditional methods of launching satellites into space, that is, on large rockets.
However, a small American company that is called SpinLaunch, develops a cheaper and environmentally cleaner way of launching satellites. The company was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Yaney in Sunnyvale, California.
SpinLaunch uses a giant centrifuge to launch objects into space through kinetic energy. By "things" we mean things that can withstand the G-force generated by their rotation at 8.000 kilometers per hour (over 10.000 Gs), which is a category of material that does not yet include satellites.
However, last month launched a missile that looked like a rocket, using only 20 percent of the accelerator power.
The design is relatively simple. They tie the missile with carbon fiber inside a vacuum chamber. This rotates until the centrifuge reaches the desired speed (8.000 km / h) and then the projectile is released from a tube higher than 50 meters. Something like the hammering at the Olympics. The rocket then ignites its engines at an altitude of about 61.000 m to reach an orbital speed of 28.200 km / h.
SpinLaunch launch system reduces dependence on traditional chemical rockets, with the aim of significantly minimizing space access costs while increasing launch frequency. If successful, the idea of acceleration is expected to reduce launch costs and use much less power, with the cost of a single space launch falling to less than $ 500.000.
The accelerator is electric and could reduce the amount of fuel needed to launch satellites. SpinLaunch estimates that its centrifugal engine uses four times less fuel than traditional rockets and has zero emissions. It is also 10 times cheaper per start because it can send multiple payloads in one day.
The company has two versions of the centrifugal accelerator. The masthead, which he successfully tested on October 22, stands upright in the middle of a New Mexico desert, so that the test vehicles do not move too far and become dangerous when descending. The submarine launcher is for test purposes only.
And the orbital launcher, which the company is aiming for but has not yet built. He states that he is trying to build it and install it in an unknown coastal area. SpinLaunch has requested approval from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Once licensed, it will build, which will be larger than the test unit to give the missiles more speed, but will operate on the same principle.
At this time, today's satellites would not survive a rotational launch due to the many Gs. However, the company says advances in electronics have created capacitors, chips and resistors that can withstand the huge G-forces generated by the centrifuge. . Testing of various satellite components has shown that vehicles could be durable to withstand launch.
With last month's test flight, SpinLaunch is planning several more tests for 2022. It hopes to launch commercial flights by the end of 2024.
It is worth noting that this method is not viable for launching manned spacecraft. The human body can withstand a maximum of 9 G in just a few seconds. The astronauts would be dead long before the centrifuge reached its maximum speed.
