California

Space companies are spending millions to find newer and cost-effective ways to put satellites into space. But one setup is planning to catapult satellites into orbit without the need for rockets or rocket fuel. 

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California-based company, SpinLaunch, is making headlines for its innovative satellite launch system that works solely on electricity. Their technology will send satellites into space using a giant rotating arm that would fling satellites into low Earth orbit. 

The company has conducted several successful tests and aims to send a bunch of satellites into space by 2026. 

"This is not a rocket, and clearly our ability to perform in just 11 months this many tests and have them all function as planned, really is a testament to the nature of our technology," Jonathan Yaney, founder and CEO of SpinLaunch, said in 2022.

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The process involves harnessing kinetic energy, something that has been around for centuries. In medieval times, devices like trebuchets and siege machines used this energy to hurl heavy objects over long distances.

What powers SpinLaunch's technology are miniaturised electronics and modern systems, which include high-strength carbon fibre and compact electronic systems, as per the company's website. 

Also Read: Life blossomed on infant Earth after massive meteorite strike billions of years ago

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"Modern electronics, materials, and simulation tools allow for satellites to be adapted to the kinetic launch environment with relative ease," SpinLaunch states.

Catapult technology will save the environment

The entire launch happens so fast that you might miss it if you divert your attention even for a second. A video of a test launch in New Mexico shows a setting similar to what you would expect in a NASA mission control room, with the satellite leaving the launch barrel and excited engineers monitoring the event.

The challenges faced by the technology include extreme conditions, including the vacuum of space and rapid acceleration.

SpinLaunch was founded in 2014 and has collaborated with NASA, Airbus, and Cornell University. 

The biggest plus point of such technology is that cuts out the requirement for rocket fuel, something that is spent in a huge quantity while launching satellites.

It will also negate the impact of satellite launches on the environment, as every satellite launch using a rocket affects the ozone layer. 

SpinLaunch is now working to develop a coastal orbital launch site.