SpinLaunch Raises $71 Million to Accelerate Kinetic Space Launch System
SpinLaunch secures $71 million in Series B funding to advance its unique centrifugal launch system that flings payloads to space instead of using traditional rockets.
SpinLaunch raises $71 million in a new funding round to advance its unique kinetic space launch system, bringing its total capital raised to $150 million. The Series B round, led by ATW Partners with participation from major venture firms like Kleiner Perkins and GV, aims to accelerate the commercialization of this alternative approach to reaching orbit. This financial boost gives the company strong backing as it attempts to transform how payloads travel to space.
Instead of relying on traditional chemical rockets, SpinLaunch uses a massive vacuum chamber with a rotating arm to build up incredible centrifugal force. The system spins an aerodynamic vehicle faster and faster until it flings it to space at speeds reaching 5,000 MPH. The company already completes successful test launches using a 33-meter suborbital accelerator, achieving speeds over 1,000 MPH and reaching altitudes of nearly 30,000 feet.
With nine successful flight tests completed and a testing agreement with NASA in place, SpinLaunch focuses on building a full-scale orbital launch system that is three times larger than its current test model. The company is also developing specially hardened satellite products capable of surviving the extreme G-forces generated during launch. SpinLaunch currently selects a site for its first orbital launch and targets 2026 to officially put satellites into orbit.