A California-based startup plans to launch hundreds of flattened “microsatelights” in a lower-earth orbit by firing a rocket out of a huge centrifugal cannon. The first batch of spacecraft such as Pancakes may be shot in space as soon as next year-and can set a new record.
Spinlach is a private company that aims to fire the payload into space using machines like huge, cannon. These “cannons” intensifies the spacecraft using spinning weapons inside a vacuum-seal chamber, before shooting them up from a barrel. Faster than a speeding bulletUsing this novel technology, the company aims to install its own satellite constellation, meridian space, which they can claim that they can provide more cost -effective competition to the choice of spacex Starlink network,
On 3 April, Spinlach revealed that he had received $ 12 million in funding from Kongsburg Defense and Aerospace (KDA), causing its total fund to close to $ 150 million. Announcement It was also revealed that KDA’s Nanovionics was selected to construct the first batch of 250 satellites in the meridian Space Nakshatra, which could be launched during the 2026 in-arbital performance tests planned for a few points.
The same day, Nanovionics also released Video Explaining more about new satellites. This showed that each satellite would be shaped as a flat disc and placed on top of each other inside a “launch bus”, like a huge pile of pancakes. Each satellite will be 7.5 feet (2.2 m) wide and will weigh about 154 pounds (70 kg), which will make them much lighter than other communication satellites. For example, Starlink Current v2 satellite Each weighs about 1,760 pounds (800 kg).
If all satellites are successfully distributed in a low -earth orbit (Leo) next year, it will set a new record for most spacecraft launched at a time, which was currently organized by Spacex’s Transporter -1 Mission, which launched 143 satellites in 2021, which was according to the site of live sciences in 2021. Space.com,
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Spinlach has earlier launched 10 rockets using its suborbital accelerator in New Mexico, with a vacuum chamber, about 108 feet (33 meters) wide and spins the objects up to 5,000 mph (8,000 km/h). The most recent launch, in September 2022, successfully distributed several payloads in Sabarbit for the first time for Space.com Was reported earlier,
During these testing launch, the acceleration process took up to 30 minutes, and the rocket experienced up to 10,000 grams of force before it was removed in the upper atmosphere. (A G is equal to the force imposed on an object by gravity of the earth.)
The details of next year’s orbital performance are limited, but the mission will probably be done using the same machine as previous tests. This means that according to Space.com, the rocket will be converted into a sub -sector flight before giving the final push required to put the payload in the load.
Pros and cons
The main draw of this type of launch system is that it is much cheaper than firing chemical rockets. Spinlach has predicted that the cost of its future commercial launch may have been launched in space between $ 1,250 and $ 2,500 per kg, which is less than half the cost of 9 rockets of SpaceX, which costs about $ 6,000 per kg, according to, according to, New space economy,
Since quick rockets do not release any greenhouse gases during launch, they are also better for the environment than chemical rockets. These spacecraft also do not require boosters that have to be abandoned in space, which will mean less Space junk The possibility of further renunciation in Leo decreased Fall back to the surface of the earth,
Spinlach is only planning to launch around 1,200 satellites in its meridian space constellation. However, once it is completed, the company is planning to build a large orbital accelerator machine-with a 328-foot wide (100m) chamber-that will be able to fire the payload for other companies directly in Leo, without a rocket fire. If this happens, Spinlach claims that it can eventually launch five commercial payloads into space every single day, according to the New Space Economy.
However, this can cause more problems below the road.
If this ambitious launch frequency was achieved, it can increase problems that are producing communication satellites and other commercial payloads in Leo, including growth. Possibility of spacecraftMore Light pollution in the night skyRadio signal It interferes with astronomy And Atmospheric metal pollution The spacecraft re -enters due to the spacecraft.
