SpinLaunch

Overview SpinLaunch is a privately held U.S. space company developing a kinetic launch system that uses a vacuum‑sealed centrifuge to accelerate and release a projectile that carries a small rocket stage and payload. The aim is to lower cost and environmental impact by shifting most of the ascent energy to an electric, ground‑powered system. SpinLaunch was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Yaney and is headquartered in Long Beach, California. Technology and Test Campaign • Suborbital Accelerator: A 33‑meter‑diameter vacuum centrifuge at Spaceport America (New Mexico) used to flight‑test the launch approach at speeds from roughly 800 to 5,000 mph. • Flight testing: First flight occurred in late 2021. By late 2022 the company had completed a tenth test that carried instrumented payloads from multiple partners; components were recovered for post‑flight inspection. • Orbital Launch System (OLS): The planned, larger‑scale kinetic system designed to send a projectile and upper‑stage rocket on a suborbital trajectory; the rocket stage then performs orbital insertion. Payloads must be ruggedized to tolerate high‑g launch conditions. Facilities and Sites • Headquarters and manufacturing: Long Beach, California. • Test site: Spaceport America, New Mexico (Suborbital Accelerator). • Planned orbital site: Adak Island, Alaska, where SpinLaunch and The Aleut Corporation have agreed a long‑term land lease and begun site readiness work for an OLS facility. Programs and Partnerships • NASA collaboration: Under a Space Act Agreement, SpinLaunch flew a NASA payload on a suborbital test to characterize the launch environment and recovery process. • Other test‑campaign participants have included Airbus U.S., Cornell University’s SSDS, and Outpost. • Meridian Space: In 2025 the company introduced a low‑Earth‑orbit broadband constellation program (“Meridian Space”) alongside its launch effort. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace made a strategic investment in support of the constellation, and Kongsberg NanoAvionics was selected as exclusive supplier for the initial tranche of satellites. A first in‑orbit demonstrator and initial service milestones are targeted for 2026, subject to program execution. Funding • 2022: Closed a $71 million Series B financing, bringing total funding at that time to around $150 million. • 2024–2025: Additional capital raises included an ~$11.5 million round reported in late 2024, a $12 million strategic investment from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace in April 2025, and a $30 million round announced in August 2025 to accelerate Meridian Space. Positioning SpinLaunch is evolving from a single‑product launch developer into an integrated space‑systems company that pairs a high‑cadence kinetic launch architecture with a LEO satcom platform. Near‑term focus areas include ruggedized spacecraft design and qualification for high‑g launch, continued suborbital flight testing, development of the Alaska orbital site, and execution of the Meridian Space satellite roadmap.