SpinLaunch Orbital Launch System
SpinLaunch
A kinetic (non-combustion) orbital launch system that uses a rotating carbon-fiber arm inside a 100-meter vacuum chamber to accelerate a launch vehicle to 8,000 kph before a small upper stage completes orbital insertion.
Technical specifications
- Launch method
- Kinetic (rotating carbon-fiber arm in vacuum chamber)
- Vacuum chamber diameter
- 100 meters
- Release velocity
- Up to 8,000 kph
- Fuel/structure reduction vs. typical rocket
- Up to 70%
- Orbital insertion
- Small propulsive upper stage completes ascent to orbit
About
The SpinLaunch Orbital Launch System is designed to enable a fundamentally new way to reach space. Instead of relying primarily on chemical rocket propulsion, the system uses a rotating carbon-fiber arm housed within a 100-meter-diameter steel vacuum chamber (the Orbital Accelerator) to spin a launch vehicle containing satellites up to speeds of roughly 8,000 kph. Because the vacuum chamber removes air resistance during the spin-up phase, the vehicle can be accelerated mechanically/electrically rather than through onboard combustion, which SpinLaunch states eliminates up to 70 percent of the fuel and structural mass that make up a typical rocket. After release, the vehicle ascends above the stratosphere, at which point a small, inexpensive propulsive upper stage provides the additional velocity required for orbital insertion and positioning. The approach is intended to substantially lower launch cost and increase cadence for small satellites by removing most of the first-stage propulsion and structure from the vehicle.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
