I have to admit that this has never occurred to me as something to test in an iPhone review, but it’s reassuring to see someone has apparently tried it.
According to a new Wired profile on the kinetic space launch system firm SpinLaunch, Apple’s iPhone can survive extremely fast rotations when physically tethered.
SpinLaunch wants to create a launch system that uses kinetic energy to deploy payloads like satellites to space without the traditional fuel-powered rocket launch.
At one point, the company’s founder and CEO sent his iPhone for a super fast test spin — we’re talking like five times the speed of sound:
Now that would be a great ‘will-it-blend’ style video to see! Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be footage of this specific test. This helicopter drop test will have to suffice:
The team sent solar cells, radio systems, telescope lenses, batteries, GPS modules, and control computers whirling at high speeds; they all survived with little to no damage. In one test, Yaney attached an iPhone to the tether and spun it up to nearly 4,000 mph.
So how did the SpinLaunch founder’s iPhone pan out? According to the Wired profile:
Impressive. Next time try FaceTime calling the dizzy iPhone … for science.
