SpinLaunch just catapulted a NASA payload into the sky for the first time
U.S. startup SpinLaunch — the company that aims to disrupt the rapidly-growing satellite launch industry by catapulting payloads into space with minimal rocket fuel — has just passed a massive test.
The company launched a NASA payload into the sky before recovering it and inspecting the contents to see how they faired after being spun around in its Suborbital Accelerator at up to 10,000 g and 5,000 mph (8,000 km/h).
The test, the company's 10th successful launch, was carried out from Spaceport America in New Mexico on September 27. It's part of a testing campaign to determine whether scientific payloads and satellites could survive the stress of its launch procedure.
In a press statement, the firm said the latest flight demonstrated that the satellite components used are "inherently compatible with the company’s launch environment."
Earlier this year, NASA announced it had signed a Space Act Agreement contract to test SpinLaunch's technology by having a payload launched by the company's kinetic launch system. Partners and government officials watched on as SpinLaunch carried out the mission on September 27.
