Upon landing, Radian One would require just 48 hours to repeat the flight.

Radian Aerospace, a startup founded in 2016, is challenging the traditional concept of propulsion of rockets into space with an innovative concept that the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) failed to materialize in the 1990s.

The Seattle-based company has designed a single-stage-to-orbit space aircraft resembling NASA’s reusable X-33 shuttle, which was meant to take off vertically but land as an ordinary plane. Its 5.2-meter long and 3.8-meter wide winged vehicle, called Radian One, would burn a lot less fuel during the uplift thanks to a sled launch system.

More to read:
[videos] Why linear aerospike engine failed adoption in aerospace industry

The 3-kilometer long rocket-powered sled accelerates to a speed reaching Mach 0.7 (537 mph) before releasing the space plane, considerably reducing the need to burn onboard fuel early in the launch. Unlike rockets, wings provide additional lift, minimizing thrust requirements during ascent.

The space plane’s reusability is another major selling point.

Radian Aerospace engineers promise the vehicle can fly into space up to 100 times, carrying a crew of 2–5 and requiring just 48 hours of turnaround time between missions.

NASA's X-33 concept shuttle. Credit: NASA

Radian One offers capabilities similar to NASA’s Space Shuttle, such as deploying satellites and conducting orbital missions. It can also perform unique tasks, like delivering payloads to disaster zones or aiding in military operations. With its robust composite exterior and more efficient engines, the space plane promises quicker and more cost-efficient reuse compared to traditional systems.

Its upmass (to orbit) is up to 2,270 kilograms and downmass (to Earth) is up to 4,540 kilograms. There’s no information about the costs per kilogram, which are believed to be around $1,000 – compared to $10,000 per kilogram with traditional rockets.

More to read:
[video] Startup unveils final design of commercial space station compatible with SpaceX rockets

The company was founded by former NASA, Boeing and Defense Department engineers – Livingston Holder, Richard Humphrey, Curtis Gifford, and Jeff Feige. Among its investors are EXOR, The Venture Collective, Helios Capital, SpaceFund, Gaingels, The Private Shares Fund, Explore-1 Fund, Type One Ventures.

A YouTube video from Radian Aerospace to illustrate the take-off process.

***
NewsCafe is an independent outlet that cares about big issues.Our sources of income amount to ads and donations from readers. You can support us via PayPal: office[at]rudeana.com or paypal.me/newscafeeu. We promise to reward this gesture with more captivating and important topics.