TBT: Inside SpinLaunch, the space industry's best kept secret

PLUS: The best WIRED stories from this month a year ago. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 01.28.21 We've all watched the glory of a rocket launch from a pad, but what if there were another way to sling ships into space? That's exactly what a secretive space company is up to—breathing new life into the decades-old idea of using giant mechanical slings to hurl rockets into space. Will we soon be seeing rockets spin at more than 5,000 mph in a massive centrifuge before screaming into space? If SpinLaunch has anything to say about it, we just might. Read all about the space industry's best kept secret, plus the best WIRED stories from this month a year ago below.   Inside SpinLaunch, the Space Industry's Best Kept Secret The company is building a massive centrifuge to accelerate rockets and send them screaming into space. The Best Stories From This Month, Last Year Iranian Hackers Have Been 'Password-Spraying' the US Grid A state-sponsored group called Magnallium has been probing American electric utilities for the past year. Did Twitter Help Stop War With Iran? Tweets from US president Donald Trump and Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif Tuesday offered a fascinating glimpse at how world leaders can communicate more quickly and directly than ever in times of crisis. He Wanted a Unicorn. He Got ... a Sustainable Business Gumroad founder Sahil Lavingia finds a way to thrive outside Silicon Valley's cult of big riches.  Germany Rejected Nuclear Power—and Deadly Emissions Spiked After Fukushima, the country opted to decommission its nuclear reactors. The US has a lot to learn from what happened next. Automated Solar Arrays Could Help Incinerate Global Warming Software-driven systems can produce enough searing heat to power manufacturing processes that now gorge on fossil fuels. These Photos Bend Time and Space—Literally A special panoramic camera allows artist Jay Mark Johnson to distort reality. GET WIRED Get 1 year of WIRED access for less than $1 per month. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions