Milestone reached in SpinLaunch centrifuge tests

December 11, 2024 - A recent SpinLaunch test has proven that satellites can withstand the extreme gravitational forces of their centrifugal launch system that aims to “throw” payloads into space.

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SpinLaunch, a California-based startup that aims to “throw” payloads into space, has just proved that satellites can withstand the extreme gravitational forces of their centrifugal launch system.

A recent demonstration took an off-the-shelf CubeSat satellite, with some reinforced components, and spun it up to 10,000G – proving that it can survive mass acceleration.

Founded in 2014, SpinLaunch is developing a cheap and environmentally friendly way of delivering payloads into low Earth orbit by spinning them in a giant centrifuge and hurling them into the atmosphere.

Using a facility at Spaceport America in New Mexico, the company is testing a 50-metre tall accelerator with a view to building a larger machine capable of spinning a rocket, carrying a 200kg satellite, at up to 8,000 kilometres an hour.

Once released through a launch tube, the projectile reaches the upper atmosphere before firing a small rocket assembly to edge it into the correct orbit.

If their plans succeed, SpinLaunch claims their deliveries will be 10 times cheaper than conventional rocket launches and use 70% less fuel.