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MR. LAUNCH
A LOW PRESSURE CATAPULT
FOR SMALL PAYLOAD SATELLITES
"Mr. Launch" is a housed vacuum catapult with a tiny window that is destroyed during launch. Reducing the air within the catapult allows speeds in excess of Mach 10. Balancing the catapult is achieved with tiny beebee pellets, similar to a design of hubcap wheel-balance popular in the 1940's, or compressed air.
The "catapult" will achieve its target velocity by gradual acceleration in a merry-go-round circle on magnetic bearings. When it achieves this velocity, it will be released, travelling in a straight line toward a spherical window, and through to the atmosphere.
Since the "Mr. Launch" payload -- a highly durable miniature satellite -- needs to achieve the "escape" velocity of at least seven miles per second in vacuum, it needs to either be accelerated by powerful magnets through the chamber walls, or by a motor in the chamber. It may also be productive to rotate the whole chamber on a motor in partial vacuum. Several commercial motors are capable of rpm's approaching and exceeding 1,000,000 rpm. A scale model one foot in diameter requires a motor with a rating of over 700,000 rpm. A practical Mr. Launch chamber of five feet across would need a rating of at least 200,000 rpm.
Testing with a scale model motor at higher speeds will allow developing release mechanisms and protocols and preparation for studying targetting, implosion, the shock wave produced, and precession.