SpinLaunch, a space rocket development startup, succeeded in testing a prototype launch in New Mexico, USA. Usually, when it comes to spacecraft, the method of launching it with a booster is chosen, but the spin launcher uses a method that has never been seen before using kinetic energy as an alternative method.
The test was conducted on the 22nd of October. It was conducted at Spaceport America, a commercial space airport located in New Mexico. The facility is in the shape of a number 6, with a barrel-shaped partial front lid open, which is a ballistic accelerator. At the push of a button, the giant plate starts to rotate, a mechanism similar to that of centrifugal ging. The speed of the launched rocket is said to be several times the speed of sound. In a normal launch, the rocket’s trajectory is visible, but in the case of a spin launcher, the trajectory is not visible at all.
Spin Launcher was founded in 2014 by CEO Jonathan Yani and aims to launch low-cost rockets. It plans to conduct about 30 carbon test flights over the next six to eight months. Related information can be found here.