A Different Approach to Launching Payloads

G Forces Matter

With the news of success from SpinLaunch, and other companies developing their own schemes, the idea of launching payloads into space from ground-based structures is gaining traction. These kinetic or impulsive launch schemes all promise to lower the cost of space access by decreasing the propellant needed for a satellite to reach orbit. Initially, we at Wave Motion were planning to use our Jet-Gun for space launch in a scheme similar to SpinLaunch’s. We’ve proven off-the-shelf electronics can survive the launch forces in our past experiments. Wave Motion has the technology and the expertise to put payloads into orbit using the Jet-Gun with some additional scaling. 

So the question is, why aren’t we using the jet-gun for space launches? Why are we pivoting to developing a new piece of technology for launch?

The answer is g-force or the acceleration experienced by a payload in terms of the acceleration felt here on Earth. That’s about 9.8 m/s^2, or 32 feet per second per second, also referred to as one “g.”

Most space payloads don’t like being thrown back at more than three or four g, let alone the thousands of Gs that would be imparted by a launch with the jet-gun or other kinetic launchers like SpinLaunch’s system. It’s possible to build small payloads that survive those forces, (we’ve done it) but that isn’t the direction the space industry is heading right now. Rockets are being designed to launch larger payloads to facilitate lunar commercialization and interplanetary human colonization. These operations will require sending large, delicate components into orbit. Lowering the cost of launch by any means necessary is no longer good enough if it means only small, specialized payloads can survive the trip. 

Macron Beams as a Solution

The macron beamer has a long development path, but it will be key to lowering the acceleration on launch vehicles while retaining the advantages of a kinetic launch system. A beam of solid particles can extend much farther into the atmosphere than a jet of gas, as we’ve seen in fluids physics simulations we’ve performed. This longer path means lower acceleration on the payload. Think of accelerating on a highway onramp vs a drag racing strip – in the first case you are gently accelerating up to speed, but in the second case you’re thrown back by the extreme force of acceleration. Launch with the jet-gun is like accelerating on the drag strip, while launch with the macron beamer would be like the highway ramp. Lower g-forces on the payload would mean vehicle design would be simpler, the risk of mechanical failure during launch would be lower, and most importantly, the macron beamer could be used to launch typical payloads for space missions without reinforcement or modification. The success of kinetic launch schemes such as SpinLaunch will depend on customers wanting to launch hundreds of specialized small satellites, which is not guaranteed. By pursuing a lower acceleration launch method, Wave Motion ensures we will be able to service the space markets of tomorrow.