SpinLaunch, NASA Sign Space Act Agreement to Test Suborbital Accelerator Launch System

Long Beach-headquartered technology company SpinLaunch announced that it has signed a Space Act Agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of efforts to gather insights into potential future commercial launch opportunities. The partnership calls for the development, integration and launching of a NASA payload on the Suborbital Accelerator Launch System, SpinLaunch said Wednesday.

In a statement, the spaceflight developer said the agreement will see it manifesting and flying the first NASA payload on a developmental test flight later in this year and provide means for post-flight recovery of the payload. The two organizations will analyze the data and assess the system for future flight opportunities. After a full review, SpinLaunch added that, together with NASA, it will publish all non-proprietary launch environment information from the test flight.

Jonathan Yaney, founder and chief executive officer of SpinLaunch, said his company is offering a unique suborbital flight and high-speed testing service.

SpinLaunch explained that the SAA is part of NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, which demonstrates promising technologies for space exploration, discovery and the expansion of space commerce through suborbital testing with industry flight providers. The program is funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, while solicitations and evaluations are managed by the Ames Research Center.

It was further explained that SAAs are a type of legal agreement specified in the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 that uniquely empowers NASA to work with any entity that enables fulfillment of its mandate. The space agency enters into SAAs with various partners to advance its mission and program objectives, including international cooperative space activities.