Unexpected! SpinLaunch GIVES UP Trying to Launch the Orbital Accelerator after…?

SpinLaunch once made headlines with its bold plan to fling payloads into orbit using a giant kinetic launcher. Now the company has shifted away from that vision and is pursuing a new direction. What is SpinLaunch working on today and why the change? Let's find out in this episode of Great SpaceX. It can be said that when it was first proposed a few years ago, the SpinLaunch orbital accelerator system immediately attracted attention across the space industry. However, achieving that vision has proven to be extraordinarily difficult. To this day, the company has not been able to bring the orbital accelerator anywhere near its intended operational capacity. In light of these challenges, SpinLaunch has recently shifted attention toward another major project, one that could redefine the company's path forward. That project is called Meridian Space, a planned satellite constellation system. SpinLaunch appears to be betting heavily on this new initiative. According to recent updates, the company has secured $30 million in new investment to develop Meridian Space with backing from existing partners such as ATW Partners and previously announced commitments from Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace. Notably, SpinLaunch raised $12 million from Kongsberg earlier this year and in 2023, it successfully closed an $11.5 million round of funding. The company has set an ambitious timeline for Meridian Space, targeting its first customer link in the second half of 2026 while accelerating efforts to bring the system to market. Expanding into satellite services is not unusual as many space companies are now pursuing integrated business models that combine launch capability with satellite networks. However, SpinLaunch's pivot raises deeper questions about its identity. Instead of launching the Meridian satellites with their own kinetic accelerator, SpinLaunch will likely depend on conventional rockets to meet deadlines. This marks a significant departure from the company's original mission to disrupt the rocket industry altogether. While SpinLaunch insists that development of the orbital accelerator will continue and eventually support satellite launches, there's no clear timeline for when that system will be ready. In practice, this new focus on Meridian Space highlights the technical and logistical problems that have plagued the accelerator since its inception. Founded in 2014 in California, SpinLaunch quickly became known for its daring attempt to build a kinetic launch system. The company constructed its first prototype in New Mexico and conducted a series of 10 test launches in 2021 and 2022. These tests proved the system could work in principle, but progress stalled afterward. The most successful attempt reached an altitude of just 10 kilometers at a velocity of That is a remarkable engineering feat, but it falls drastically short of the target of 300 kilometers altitude and the 25,000 kilometers per hour velocity required to place a payload into orbit. The challenges are immense. To achieve orbit, payloads must survive passage through Earth's dense atmosphere, which demands enormous kinetic force. Generating that force is already difficult, but even if achieved, the payload faces severe risks of structural damage. Before reaching the atmosphere, the payload also endures violent rotational forces inside the vacuum chamber of the accelerator itself. The sudden transitions, intense vibrations, and mechanical stress pose serious risks of failure long before orbital velocity is even approached. For these reasons, some analysts have suggested that the SpinLaunch system might be more suitable for environments beyond Earth. On celestial bodies like the Moon or Mars, where the atmosphere is thin or nonexistent, many of the system's biggest obstacles would disappear. Such a system could provide a simple and fuel-efficient means of launching payloads in the early stages of human settlement, which full-scale rocket infrastructure is not yet available. Without needing fuel to launch, precious propellant could instead be reserved for other mission-critical maneuvers. In theory, SpinLaunch could become a valuable asset for programs like Artemis on the Moon or future Mars missions. Yet, so far, neither NASA nor SpinLaunch has formally embraced this concept. Another fundamental issue lies in the compatibility of the orbital accelerator with modern propulsion trends. The system's extreme vibrations and accelerations make it unsuitable for liquid-fueled payloads, which are now the standard across much of the industry. Liquid fuel is sensitive to sloshing, which can destabilize or damage vehicles under heavy stress. This means SpinLaunch's system is only truly compatible with solid-fueled payloads. Since solid fuel is increasingly less common in new spacecraft design, the company risks losing a large portion of the market even if the accelerator were perfected. By contrast, traditional rockets continue to evolve and maintain wide compatibility with both solid and liquid fuel systems. Taken together, SpinLaunch's situation presents a fascinating contradiction. On one hand, its orbital accelerator remains one of the most daring and innovative ideas in the aerospace sector, a concept that could still reshape space access if the technical challenges can be overcome. On the other hand, its lack of progress, compatibility issues, and the need to rely on rockets for meridian space demonstrate that the company may be quietly stepping away from its disruptive roots. The coming years will be decisive. If SpinLaunch can successfully bring meridian space to market by 2026, it may carve out a new identity as a satellite operator while continuing slow development of the accelerator in the background. If not, the company risks being remembered as a bold idea that could not survive the brutal realities of spaceflight. Either way, SpinLaunch has ensured that the industry is watching closely. Because even if its original dream remains out of reach for now, the story is far from over. Another major obstacle for SpinLaunch lies in the construction of the accelerator itself. To achieve orbital velocity, the system must be capable of generating enormous amounts of force, which requires an immense structure. Estimates suggest that an operational orbital accelerator would need to measure around 100 meters in diameter. Yet up to this point, SpinLaunch has only developed two suborbital versions of the technology. The first is a 33-meter test accelerator located in New Mexico, while the second, much smaller, is a 12-meter version in California. The company has explored various sites in its search for a location to build a full-scale orbital accelerator, including Hawaii, Alaska, and even international options. However, it has encountered significant obstacles ranging from regulatory pushback to conflicts of interest with indigenous communities. Despite these setbacks, SpinLaunch has made some progress. The company has reached an agreement with the Aleut Corporation in Alaska to explore the possibility of constructing an orbital accelerator on Attic Island. Still, as of now, there is no clear timeline for when construction might begin or when such a facility could realistically be completed. This uncertainty highlights a broader issue. For a system as new and unproven as SpinLaunch's accelerator, the road to competing with traditional rockets is steep and filled with challenges. Despite the inherent complexity and expense of rocket launches, rockets remain the most effective and reliable way to deliver payloads into orbit. Moreover, the rocket industry is not stagnant. It continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, with new companies and established organizations alike advancing their capabilities year after year. In such an environment, the difficulty for a fledgling system like SpinLaunch is not simply technical, but competitive. A single example makes this point clear. Take SpaceX, the undisputed leader in today's launch market. For roughly 15 years, its Falcon family of rockets has set record after record, transforming the economics of space access. Falcon 9 has become the most frequently launched rocket in the world, and its pace continues to accelerate. In recent years, the vehicle has completed more than 100 launches annually, with the shortest gap between flights measured in mere hours. The rocket's capability is equally impressive, with Falcon 9 capable of lifting up to 22 tons to low-Earth orbit. Its partial reusability has also redefined what is possible in terms of launch costs, flexibility, and turnaround time. For SpinLaunch, catching up seems increasingly unlikely. In short, SpinLaunch faces two major disadvantages. The first is that its accelerator system remains incomplete and far from demonstrating orbital capability. The second is that the traditional rocket industry, led by giants like SpaceX, is advancing too quickly for an alternative system to gain meaningful traction. For SpinLaunch, the dream of competing with or replacing rockets is no longer realistic. This shift in direction is evident in the company's latest pivot. Instead of relying on the accelerator, SpinLaunch is investing heavily in a satellite constellation project known as Meridian Space. Produced in collaboration with Kongsberg NanoAvionics, these satellites weigh about 70 kilos each. Their design removes bulky components such as 2D scanning antennas in favor of streamlined and energy-efficient structures that resemble panels stacked neatly within a rocket fairing. This design allows cost reductions, shorter manufacturing cycles, and the potential for mass deployment. The company estimates that up to 250 satellites could be launched at once, a number that it claims could even surpass the payload capacity of SpaceX's transporter rideshare missions. Meridian Space satellites will also feature modern technologies, including ultra-efficient reflector ray antenna systems. With a constellation of approximately 1,190 satellites, SpinLaunch Projects projects that it could deliver tens of terabits per second of connectivity. David Wren, chief innovation officer at SpinLaunch, emphasized the importance of this development, stating that testing the reflector ray antenna proves the system can achieve multi-band capability without the cost and complexity of traditional designs. He described this as a critical step toward realizing the Meridian Space constellation and achieving both technical and operational goals. Yet, despite these strengths, challenges remain. SpinLaunch will still need rockets to launch these satellites into orbit, which means returning to the very industry it once sought to disrupt. Moreover, the satellite market is fiercely competitive. SpaceX's Starlink constellation already dominates with thousands of satellites in orbit and a continuous pace of deployment. Other players, such as Amazon's Kuiper Project, are also scaling up rapidly. By the time Meridian Space becomes operational, competitors may already hold an overwhelming lead. For SpinLaunch, the path forward is increasingly complex. The accelerator, once hailed as revolutionary, remains a work in progress. Its uniqueness as a concept is fading as the company shifts toward satellites, a market that is already overcrowded, crowded, and fiercely contested. Whether Meridian Space can provide SpinLaunch with the foothold it needs remains to be uncertain. But one fact is clear, competing against rockets and established satellite constellations will be an immense challenge. Indeed, competition is never easy for a newcomer, especially one taking an untested path. SpinLaunch is a prime example, pursuing a launch method no one else has tried. While the idea offers clear advantages, the challenges are immense, and rivals continue to set a high bar in space access. Now the company faces a crossroads. Refine its orbital accelerator or pivot to a new direction, risking the unique identity that made it stand out. The decisions made today will shape SpinLaunch's future. Can they overcome these obstacles and secure a place in the space industry? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below. Otherwise, folks, this has been Kevin with GreatSpaceX. Don't forget to like the video and subscribe, if you haven't already, to stay up to date with yours truly on the latest milestones in SpaceX's journey. Thank you so much for watching, and always remember, curiosity, imagination, and inspiration will follow you so long as you keep looking up.