SpinLaunch’s centrifugal cannon could transform space launches

In the middle of the desert, a vast circular structure could upend decades of rocket-based space launches.

Quietly, and out of sight of most people, a California start-up is betting on a centrifugal “cannon” that can hurl small satellites into space using mechanical energy alone: no flames, no smoke and no fuel tanks exploding at lift-off.

A space launch without rockets or flames

For more than half a century, the principle has remained the same: burn fuel to escape Earth’s gravity. Enormous amounts of fuel. Giant rockets, colossal tanks, tonnes of kerosene and liquid oxygen. This model has taken humanity into orbit, to the Moon and to Mars, but at a high financial cost and with an environmental impact that is increasingly under scrutiny.

The approach from SpinLaunch, the American company testing its system in the New Mexico desert, challenges that established model. Inspired by particle accelerators, the concept is simple in theory but complex to deliver: a payload is accelerated inside a vacuum chamber by a rotating arm until it reaches speeds of thousands of kilometres per hour. At the right moment, it is released and flung into the upper atmosphere.

“Rather than burning fuel during ascent, the system stores energy before launch as rotation, then releases it all at once.”

In suborbital tests completed so far, the company has shown that the underlying principle works. The machine, a huge enclosed disc, spins a projectile in an almost airless environment to limit friction. An electric motor powers the rotation. That is the key difference: energy consumption comes from the electricity grid, which can be supplied by renewable sources, rather than chemical fuels that release greenhouse gases directly into the atmosphere.

How SpinLaunch’s centrifugal “cannon” works

The system looks like an enormous vertical disc. Inside it, a metal arm acts as a high-tech catapult. The payload, either a microsatellite or a module carrying several of them, is attached to the end of this arm.

• Air is removed from the chamber to produce a partial vacuum.
• The arm begins to rotate, with every revolution faster than the last.
• Once the target speed is reached, an opening lines up with the arm.
• A release mechanism fires the payload towards the sky.

The version currently being tested does not yet place objects into orbit. It only performs suborbital flights, which are used to validate materials, electronics and the machine’s own structure. The company’s longer-term aim is to build a larger version capable of launching projectiles that then complete orbital insertion with a small auxiliary engine, far less substantial than the first stage of a conventional rocket.

Withstanding 10,000 G: the cost of the space catapult

These benefits come at a severe cost for satellites. Payloads launched by this type of system face acceleration of up to 10,000 times Earth’s gravity. By comparison, passengers aboard a conventional rocket experience between 3 and 5 G for much of the flight, perhaps reaching 8 or 9 G in extreme situations.

“What is currently considered acceptable for most satellites simply cannot survive the centrifugal cannon, forcing a complete rethink of their design.”

To address this issue, SpinLaunch is developing dedicated satellites: smaller, tougher and flatter in shape, almost like compact “technology discs”. Each unit would be about 2.3 metres in diameter and weigh around 70 kilograms, designed to withstand the forces involved without losing its ability to operate in orbit.

Satellites redesigned from scratch

This shift requires a break with the usual way of planning constellations. Instead of versatile platforms packed with sensitive modules, engineers must focus on:

• reinforced components with a lower risk of mechanical failure;
• encapsulated electronics able to withstand high compressive forces;
• simpler structures with fewer moving parts;
• configurations suited to mass production, much like an automotive assembly line.

The satellites travel stacked inside one module, which is launched by the cannon in a single shot. Once in orbit, the module releases each unit, which moves towards its final position through small trajectory adjustments. This delivers repeatability, easier manufacturing and a lower cost per unit, in exchange for some mission flexibility.

Five launches a day: the effect on the low-Earth-orbit economy

If the technology reaches its planned operational form, the promise is ambitious: as many as five launches a day, far beyond the present launch rate of leading commercial rockets. That would fundamentally alter the economics of low Earth orbit, used for communications, Earth monitoring and satellite internet services.

“More shots each day mean cheaper satellites in orbit, continual constellation renewal and new entrants into the space market.”

Early estimates put the cost per kilogram between 1,250 and 2,500 dollars. It is still a significant amount, but it could fall below the cost of several chemical rocket-based systems, especially for small payloads. That price range could enable:

Application	Benefit of frequent launches
Climate monitoring	Rapid replacement of faulty satellites, with fewer coverage “gaps”
Satellite internet	Faster constellation upgrades and increased capacity
High-resolution imagery	Smaller, denser constellations, improving revisit rates over large cities

Cheaper, more regular access could allow smaller companies and even governments with more limited budgets to plan space projects that were previously unviable. At the same time, a larger number of objects in low Earth orbit increases the risk of collisions and raises concerns about space debris, interference with astronomical observations and light pollution.

Climate impact and environmental limits

Eliminating direct combustion is highly appealing during the energy transition. By avoiding propellant combustion for much of the ascent, the system prevents emissions in the upper atmosphere, where certain pollutants remain for long periods. If the electricity used comes from clean sources, the carbon footprint of each launch falls substantially.

On the other hand, more objects in orbit require stricter rules for deorbiting, tracking and safe disposal. A constellation launched by a centrifugal cannon remains subject to the same laws of physics that create clouds of debris after collisions. Making it easier to put satellites into space must go hand in hand with controlled removal policies at the end of their working lives.

Terms worth a quick explanation

Two central concepts help explain the technology:

• G (gravity): a unit indicating how many times an acceleration exceeds gravity at Earth’s surface. At 10,000 G, a 1 kg object “behaves” as though it weighs 10 tonnes.
• Suborbital launch: a flight that leaves the atmosphere but does not reach the horizontal speed needed to remain in orbit around Earth. It climbs, reaches a peak altitude and then falls back down.

Understanding these points makes clear why many current satellites cannot simply be adapted for this type of system. They were designed for accelerations in double digits, perhaps triple digits, rather than four digits.

Future scenarios, risks and possible combinations

One realistic possibility is to treat the centrifugal cannon as part of a hybrid chain for reaching space. It handles the “first stage” of launch by throwing the payload to a high altitude. From there, a small chemical or electric engine takes over and fine-tunes the orbit. This drastically reduces the size of rocket required, cutting both costs and fuel consumption.

Another scenario involves more ambitious uses, such as rapidly sending payloads for emergency missions. In theory, such a system could launch temporary communications satellites within hours of a natural disaster, restoring basic connections in affected areas. The challenge would be to balance urgency with orbital safety, without adding further objects to an already congested orbit.

There are industrial risks as well. If the bet on ultra-reinforced satellites does not prove commercially viable, companies may hesitate to redesign their platforms solely to fit the centrifugal cannon’s requirements. Adoption will depend on how consistent and reliable the promise of lower costs and genuinely daily launch rates proves to be.