Will the launch bottleneck boost demand for non-rocket launchers?
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Will the current launch bottleneck boost demand for alternative non-rocket launchers?
Non-rocket launch concepts are not new. They’ve been around for decades. In the case of a space “elevator” tower, the concept is over a century old. Will contemporary efforts succeed?
Centrifuge
SpinLaunch
Founded in 2014
Raised US$150 million, planning a Series C round
Suborbital Accelerator light test facility at Spaceport America in New Mexico
Vacuum-sealed centrifuge
Spin a rocket and then hurl it to space at up to 4,700 mph (7,500 km/h; 2.1 km/s)
Booster rocket launches payload
Peak acceleration will be approximately 10,000 g
Projected to be a 10x reduction in launch costs
Severe limitations on payloads - must be robust enough to survive
Orbital Accelerator TBD
Space Cannon
Green Launch
A long tube filled with hydrogen, helium, and oxygen
Shoots a projectile with payload
Muzzle velocities up to Mach 9.
Peak acceleration will be approximately 30,000 G
A 54-ft (16.5-m) proof of concept launch tube in Arizona
Even more severe limitations on payloads
Space Elevator
Efforts include LiftPort, Spaceline, Sky Ladder - mostly academic R&D
Modern tether materials include carbon nanotube composite and carbon polymers like Zylon
Carbon nanotube composite length current record is 21 inches
Significant material science advancements needed to produce a long tether
Beaming / Wireless Power
Electric Sky
Powering drones and launch vehicle via electricity beamed up from the ground
Source power from the electrical grid
Beamed as radio waves
Drones are a good proof-of-concept but launch vehicles must reach a much higher altitude
Astralytical Analysis
While non-rocket launch technologies are promising, none of them are close to operations. A handful of traditional small launcher are likely to become operational before non-rocket launchers prove themselves, thus alleviating the current launch bottleneck.
October Activities
In October, Astralytical:
Continued work on a NASA-funded planetary science NIAC mission concept, TitanAir.
Continued work on a Moon-related market research initiative for a client.
Contributed to a US Office of Science and Technology Policy initiative to grow the US space economy.
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