Space startup SpinLaunch has developed a catapult to launch satellites, a technology that could change the future of space launches. Using a giant rotating arm, the company harnesses kinetic energy to launch satellites weighing up to 440 pounds into low Earth orbit.
This method, which has already been successfully tested, stands out for not requiring rocket fuel, operating exclusively on electricity.
Successful testing of catapult to launch satellites
[post_relacionado]Since the start of the project, the company has demonstrated its technological capability with a series of successful trials in just 11 months, underscoring the effectiveness and potential of its innovation. Jonathan Yaney, the company’s founder and CEO, noted in an interview with space.com in 2022, shortly after the tenth successful launch, that this technology does not resemble a conventional rocket.
Its goal is to launch constellations of satellites to less than 600 miles altitude by 2026.
The use of satellites is fundamental for scientists, as they allow them to monitor the health of the planet from space, identifying, for example, methane pollutant leaks. Therefore, finding more environmentally friendly methods to put these devices into orbit is devices into orbit is of great importance and excitement to the scientific community.
One of the tests performed. Source: SpinLaunch.
Launches without rockets
The kinetic energy principle employed by the company has its roots in techniques used for centuries, such as wartime siege machines and other wartime siege machines capable of launching heavy objects over long distances.
Recreational activities such as pumpkin-launching contests, known as“Punkin Chunkin,” continue to teach kinetic physics and potential energy with similar devices, leading some to wonder how many pumpkins they could send into orbit if they had access to this technology.
The company’s invention is sure to arouse the curiosity of many and raise new questions about the possibilities of kinetic energy in space.
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Source: thecooldown
Photo: SpinLaunch