SpinLaunch

SpinLaunch was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Yaney in Sunnyvale, California. The company's headquarters are in Long Beach.{{Cite web|last=Malik|first=Tariq|date=June 19, 2019|title=Secretive Startup SpinLaunch Gets 1st Launch Contract for US Military|url=https://www.space.com/spinlaunch-first-launch-contract.html/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614003534/https://www.space.com/spinlaunch-first-launch-contract.html|archive-date=14 June 2021|access-date=December 3, 2019|work=Space.com}} In 2020 it opened a launch site. SpinLaunch continued development of its 140,000 square-foot (13,000 m²) corporate headquarters in Long Beach, and of its flight test facility at Spaceport America in New Mexico.{{Cite web|last=Wall|first=Mike|date=2020-01-16|title=Stealth Space Startup SpinLaunch Snares Another $35 Million From Investors|url=https://www.space.com/spinlaunch-launch-startup-investment-funding.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324201621/https://www.space.com/spinlaunch-launch-startup-investment-funding.html|archive-date=24 March 2020|access-date=2020-01-22|website=Space.com}}

In late 2021, SpinLaunch was named one of the "World's Best Employers in the Space Industry" by Everything Space, a recruitment platform specializing in the space industry.{{Cite web|title=World's Best Employers in the Space Industry|url=https://everythingspace.com/blog/worlds-best-employers-in-the-space-industry|access-date=2021-11-13|website=Everything Space|archive-date=13 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113133952/https://everythingspace.com/blog/worlds-best-employers-in-the-space-industry|url-status=live}}

In March 2022, SpinLaunch was listed as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 by Time Magazine. In April, SpinLaunch received a launch contract from NASA to test a payload.{{Cite web |first=Mike |last=Wall |date=2022-04-06 |title=SpinLaunch's rocket-flinging launch system will loft NASA payload on test flight this year |url=https://www.space.com/spinlaunch-nasa-suborbital-test-flight-agreement |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=Space.com |archive-date=1 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501112617/https://www.space.com/spinlaunch-nasa-suborbital-test-flight-agreement |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Coldewey |first=Devin |date=2022-04-06 |title=SpinLaunch scores NASA test mission to demonstrate its unique launch method |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/06/spinlaunch-scores-nasa-test-mission-to-demonstrate-its-unique-launch-method/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=TechCrunch |archive-date=7 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807025340/https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/06/spinlaunch-scores-nasa-test-mission-to-demonstrate-its-unique-launch-method/ |url-status=live }}

In May 2024, SpinLaunch named Chief Operating Officer David Wrenn as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Jonathan Yaney. No specific rationale for Yaney's "completed" departure from SpinLaunch was provided.{{Cite web | date=2024-05-10 |title=SpinLaunch Board Announces Leadership Transition |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240510636849/en/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=businesswire.com}}

SpinLaunch is developing a kinetic energy space launch system that aims to reduce dependency on traditional chemical rockets, with the goal of significantly lowering the cost of access to space while increasing launch frequency. The system utilizes centrifugal force with slingshot action to accelerate rockets to eventually reach low Earth orbit. The vacuum-sealed centrifuge is able to spin a rocket at speeds of up to {{convert|7500|km/h|mph km/h km/s|order=out|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} before releasing it on a trajectory path headed towards low Earth orbit. Once the rocket reaches an altitude of roughly {{convert|60|km|ft km|abbr=on|sigfig=2|order=out}}, the rocket would then ignite its engines in order to reach an orbital speed of {{convert|7666|m/s|mph km/h km/s|abbr=on|sigfig=4|order=out}}. Such rockets would be able to carry payloads of up to {{cvt|200|kg|lb|order=flip}}, with a peak centrifugal acceleration of approximately 10,000 g.{{Cite magazine |last=Allain |first=Rhett |title=Hurling Satellites Into Space Seems Crazy—but Might Just Work |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/hurling-satellites-into-space/ |access-date=2022-04-10 |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=7 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807025259/https://www.wired.com/story/hurling-satellites-into-space/ |url-status=live }} Historical predecessors of this system include centrifugal guns.

If successful, the centrifuge sling launch concept is projected to lower the cost of launches and use less power, with the price of a single space launch potentially reduced by a factor of 20 to under {{USD|500,000}}.{{cite news |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=22 February 2018 |title=Stealth space catapult startup SpinLaunch is raising $30M |work=TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/22/spinlaunch/ |access-date=23 February 2018 |archive-date=13 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313134827/https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/22/spinlaunch/ |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine|last=Oberhaus|first=Daniel|date=January 29, 2020|title=Inside SpinLaunch, the Space Industry's Best Kept Secret|url=https://www.wired.com/story/inside-spinlaunch-the-space-industrys-best-kept-secret/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711172707/https://www.wired.com/story/inside-spinlaunch-the-space-industrys-best-kept-secret/|archive-date=11 July 2021|access-date=February 9, 2021|magazine=Wired}}

Any equipment or goods delivered by SpinLaunch must be capable of withstanding up to 10,000 G's of force for 30 minutes during the centrifugal acceleration process. Additionally, no more than {{cvt|400|kg|lb|order=flip}} of payload can be sent per launch.{{cite web |url=https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2024/02/12/spinlaunch-company-profile/ |title=SpinLaunch: Company Profile |website=New Space Economy |location=US |date=February 12, 2024 |access-date=July 13, 2024}}

SpinLaunch's projected cost per kg of payload is approximately $1,250 – $2,500. This projection is significantly less expensive than SpaceX's current price per kg of payload on the Falcon 9 of $6,000. SpaceX's projected cost per kg on Starship, however, is less than $1,000 per kg. Real costs and prices for both SpinLaunch and Starship remain to be seen.

• On October 22, 2021 at its Spaceport America facility in New Mexico, SpinLaunch conducted its first vertical test of their accelerator situated at 20% of its full power capacity, hurling a {{Convert|10|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} passive projectile to an altitude of "tens of thousands of feet." This test accelerator, which is situated at 32°53'6"N 106°56'18"W, is {{Convert|33|m|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}} in diameter, which makes it a one-third scale of the operational system that is being designed.{{Cite web|last=Sheetz|first=Michael|date=2021-11-09|title=Alternative rocket builder SpinLaunch completes first test flight|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/09/spinlaunch-completes-first-test-flight-of-alternative-rocket.html|access-date=2021-11-09|website=CNBC|archive-date=28 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228025939/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/09/spinlaunch-completes-first-test-flight-of-alternative-rocket.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite tweet|number=1458188552085196800|user=SpinLaunch|title=Scott, good eye. However, "Flight #1" was a successful horizontal flight. (the entire vacuum chamber assembly can rotate to a variety of launch elevations for testing & range flexibility)}}{{Cite web|date=2021-11-10|title=SpinLaunch conducts first test of suborbital accelerator at Spaceport America|url=https://spacenews.com/spinlaunch-conducts-first-test-of-suborbital-accelerator-at-spaceport-america/|access-date=2021-11-11|website=SpaceNews|archive-date=7 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807025258/https://spacenews.com/spinlaunch-conducts-first-test-of-suborbital-accelerator-at-spaceport-america/|url-status=live}} The company's first 10 test flights reached as much as {{Convert|30000|ft}} in altitude.
• A September 2022 test flight successfully carried payloads from NASA, Airbus US, Cornell Engineering’s Space Systems Design Studio (SSDS), and Outpost. The flight followed the trajectory that had been laid in for it. After the flight all contents of the payload were inspected and found to be in good order.{{cite news |url=https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/news/space/spinlaunch-completes-tenth-flight-test-with-payloads-from-nasa-and-airbus.html |title=SpinLaunch completes tenth flight test with payloads from NASA and Airbus |first=Ben |last=Sampson |work=Aerospace Testing International |location=UK |date=October 14, 2022 |access-date=July 13, 2024}}

• Launch service provider
• Non-rocket spacelaunch
• Outline of space technology
• Reusable launch system
• Space gun
• High Altitude Research Facility
• Centrifugal gun

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6esOcWrrEE |title=SpinLaunch Suborbital Accelerator — First Launch |publisher=SpinLaunch |via=YouTube |date=November 12, 2021 |access-date=November 11, 2024}}
• {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrc632oilWo |title=Can We Throw Satellites to Space? – SpinLaunch |publisher=Real Engineering |via=YouTube |date=August 6, 2022 |access-date=November 11, 2024}}
• {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz5CJ7Z9t2g |title=What Happened To SpinLaunch & The Orbital Accelerator? |publisher=TheSpaceBucket |via=YouTube |date=September 3, 2023 |access-date=November 11, 2024}}
• {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGxmCvLb9bs |title=Is SpinLaunch Still Trying To Make An Orbital Accelerator? |publisher=TheSpaceBucket |via=YouTube |date=November 7, 2024 |access-date=November 11, 2024}}

Category:Aerospace companies of the United States

Category:Private spaceflight companies

Category:Technology companies established in 2014

Category:American companies established in 2014

Category:2014 establishments in California