Sizing a Slingatron-Based Space Launcher

A slingatron is the name given to a propellantless mechanical means of launching a projectile. To date, slingatrons are only conceptual in nature, but their potential use as a ground-to-space launch mechanism for unmannedpayloads is under investigation. Slingatrons can be configured in a variety of geometries; one form consists of a spiral track (or launch tube) that gyrates at a constant frequency about a set radius. Under proper conditions (design parameters), a projectile entering the spiral at its small radius end will undergo nearly constant tangential acceleration before exiting. The differential equations governing the motion of the projectile within the spiral are highly nonlinear, making the optimum design solution nonintuitive. This paper briefly describes how the slingatron works, then uses the numerical integration procedures within the computer software environment of Simulink ® and MATLAB ® to search for the minimum-sized slingatron needed to launch a 1000-kg projectile into space.