US firm’s maglev space ramp will fire rockets to orbit with almost no fuel
SMRTR summary
A magnetic ramp that hurls spacecraft into orbit at six times the speed of sound? That's the ambitious vision of Auriga Space, a US-based startup that's just secured $6 million in funding.
The company aims to revolutionize space launches by using powerful electromagnets to accelerate vehicles along a steep track. This approach could drastically reduce the need for propellant, which currently makes up most of a rocket's weight.
"Less than 2% of the mass of the rocket is what gets into space," explains Auriga's CEO Winnie Lai. "Our ultimate goal here is to make space launch more efficient."
The system, reminiscent of sci-fi space elevators, could enable more frequent and cost-effective launches. Auriga plans to start with hypersonic testing before scaling up to orbital launches.
While the technology is promising, challenges remain. Like similar unconventional launch methods, Auriga must carefully balance speed and payload integrity. But if successful, this magnetic catapult could reshape our access to the final frontier.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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