US firm's maglev ramp will fire rockets to orbit with almost no fuel

Auriga Space, a US-based company, is developing a magnetic launch track designed to accelerate rockets to hypersonic speeds using powerful electromagnets, aiming to reduce reliance on conventional rocket propellant. Their system will propel vehicles to six times the speed of sound before the rocket engine ignites for the final push into orbit, significantly improving launch efficiency and reducing costs. The launch track features a steep ramp for the final ascent and is designed to be rapidly reusable. Auriga plans to begin by serving hypersonic test customers with two upcoming test tracks: Prometheus (an indoor lab-scale track) and Thor (an outdoor full-scale hypersonic accelerator), with their orbital launch system, Zeus, slated for later development. The company has raised $6 million in funding, including a $4.6 million seed round led by OTB Ventures and $1.4 million in contracts from AFWERX and SpaceWERX, reflecting investor confidence in its technology. Auriga aims to address the US Space