Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How much money can you make promising to get satellites into orbit with a slingshot?
American Thinker ^ | 3 Dec, 2021 | Mick Rich

Posted on 12/03/2021 4:08:23 AM PST by MtnClimber

The founders of the company Spinlaunch are making a boatload, but it doesn't look as though they'll ever deliver.

Spinlaunch is a high-tech company that is attempting to modernize that biblical weapon, the sling. The Brothers Yaney are marketing Spinlaunch as the most efficient means to sling small satellites into orbit. The physics is straightforward, but the mechanics are anything but, and the financial rewards for the Brothers Yaney are out of this world. Who would think separating the wealthy from their money could be so much fun? And no, that is not the tagline to the movie The Brothers Bloom.

The physics of the Spinlaunch is simple: spin the launch vehicle faster and faster in a vacuum (to eliminate friction), then release the launch vehicle. The momentum at the point of release will be sufficient for the launch vehicle to a height of 200 miles above the Earth.

Spinlaunch's vacuum-enclosed prototype centrifuge (located at the New Mexico Spaceport) is three hundred feet across. The full-scale vacuum-enclosed centrifuge will be nine hundred feet across, making it the world's largest vacuum structure. If it does not collapse under the weight of gravity, it will collapse under the pull of the vacuum.

The Spinlaunch centrifuge will spin (10,000 gs) the 2,500-pound launch vehicle to 5,000 mph. A slight imbalance between the centrifuge and the launch vehicles or uneven wear on the critical parts would result in vibrations that could cause the structure to disintegrate. An error of just milliseconds in releasing the launch vehicle would cause the launch vehicle to touch the side of the launch tube, causing the structure to disintegrate. There would be enough energy when Spinlaunch disintegrates to destroy a small city.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Science
KEYWORDS: rubegoldberg
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-43 last
To: PIF

Have your African Swallows been jabbed?

Thats why I would use only European swallows, they have been jabbed. Use them before they all mysteriously die


41 posted on 12/03/2021 8:36:54 AM PST by The MAGA-Deplorian (. Democrats are lawless because Republicans are ball-less!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: The MAGA-Deplorian

The whole news cycle is becoming one big inside joke on us


42 posted on 12/03/2021 8:44:50 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: ThunderSleeps

Exactly. Only a BB could survive that.


43 posted on 12/03/2021 9:16:12 AM PST by CodeToad (Arm up! They Have!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-43 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson