As if low-orbit space isn’t already getting over-crowded, there is a startup that may send huge numbers of additional satellites into orbit. The California company is Spinlaunch.

Spinlaunch plans to shoot microsatellites into orbit using what they call a centrifugal cannon (pictured to the right). The cannon spins and accelerates a small rocket that will hold multiple satellites. The cannon accelerates the rocket using spinning arms inside a vacuum chamber that achieve a force of 10,000 G and a speed of 5,000 miles per hour – fast enough to achieve a suborbital height. From there, the rocket engines will fire to finish the trip to space. The company has done ten test launches that successfully reached suborbital heights.

The launches will be done from Adak Island, near the western end of the Aleutian Islands off Alaska. Spinlaunch’s partner is the Aleut Corporation, an Alaskan Native business. They chose the Aleutians since it provides a clear launch path over the Pacific Ocean with minimal disruption to commercial flights. The area also has steady winds, which allow for the use of cheap renewable wind power. The site also takes advantage of an abandoned U.S. Navy base on the island.

The company plans to start shooting satellites into orbit in 2026. The satellites, shaped like a disk, are 7.5 feet across and weigh about 154 pounds. This is significantly lighter than a Starlink satellite, with the current V2 satellites weighing in at 1,760 pounds. The plan is to place 250 satellites into orbit in a single launch, the most ever. Last year, Starlink launched 143 satellites in a single launch.

The satellite fleet will be owned by a sister company, Meridian Space. Meridian Space currently holds an FCC license to launch 1,190 satellites. Spinlaunch raised $150 million, including a recent infusion of $12 million from Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, which will manufacture the satellites. Meridian Space plans to compete head-to-head with Starlink and Kuiper in selling broadband.

Spinlaunch thinks it has a number of advantages over other launch technologies. It requires 70% less fuel to put a satellite into orbit, meaning a much lower cost of deployment. The launch cannon should be fully usable for many years of future launches.

On the flip side, placing even more satellites into space increases the problems that have been identified with proliferation of low-orbit satellites. That includes an increased risk of space collisions and the resulting debris that could make low-orbit space into a dead zone. It means more interference with light pollution and interference with astronomy. It also means more satellites falling back to earth, which can cause degradation of the ozone layer.

But like it or not, the satellite age is upon us, and is going to accelerate as companies find clever ways to launch more satellites into low-orbit space.