NASA to test SpinLaunch's new suborbital accelerator to fling spacecraft into orbit

NASA will soon be testing a new concept for lofting satellites into low-Earth orbit. The agency has signed a Space Act Agreement with California-based SpinLaunch, which has developed a technology to slingshot spacecraft and satellites into space. Established in October 2021, SpinLaunch states that it aims to deliver a substantially less expensive and environmentally sustainable approach to space access. 

How does SpinLaunch work?

The company has developed a suborbital, electric powered kinetic-energy based system which accelerates rockets using a rotating arm. This arm swings the rockets at high speeds and points them skywards before slinging them into outer space. This method has the potential to reduce the expense of fuel, hardware and capital as the rockets would fire their engines after reaching far up in the sky. 

While the company has already conducted a number of test runs of its suborbital accelerator from New Mexico's Spaceport America, it would send a NASA spacecraft into orbit later this year. On the other hand, SpinLaunch has plans to conduct its own first orbital test flights in 2025.

The test flight would be under the Space Act Agreement which  is part of NASA's Flight Opportunities Program. This program has been designed to demonstrate technologies which would benefit the agency and ultimately help in the growth of the commercial spaceflight industry. Calling the agreement an ‘important milestone’, company founder and CEO Jonathan Yaney said in an emailed statement as per an official release, "SpinLaunch is offering a unique suborbital flight and high-speed testing service, and the recent launch agreement with NASA marks a key inflection point as SpinLaunch shifts focus from technology development to commercial offerings”.

He further said that the company is looking forward to announcing more partners and customers in the future and appreciated “NASA’s continued interest and support in SpinLaunch”. ” What started as an innovative idea to make space more accessible has materialized into a technically mature and game-changing approach to launch”, Yaney added. It is worth noting that the California-based firm was enlisted into TIME's 100 most influential companies of 2022. "We're proud to be listed alongside some of the world’s most influential brands, and look forward to continuing our mission of providing less expensive, scalable access to space". 

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