Radian Aerospace, a company based in Washington, announced on January 19 that it has raised $27.5 million in funding. This capital will be used to develop a spacecraft model named Radian One. Radian Aerospace hopes that this new aircraft will change the way we travel in space as well as on Earth.
Illustration of the Radian One spacecraft operating in orbit. (Photo: Radian Aerospace)
“We plan to make space travel gradually simpler and more convenient, similar to flying on an airplane. We are not focusing on tourism but rather on missions that improve life on Earth, such as research, manufacturing in space, or Earth observation, as well as critical missions like rapid global transportation,” said Richard Humphrey, co-founder and CEO of Radian Aerospace.
The Radian One is designed to take off and land horizontally on a runway, unlike NASA’s old space shuttle orbiters that landed horizontally but took off vertically with the aid of rockets. The new spacecraft will also have assisted takeoff, utilizing a sled to help it accelerate down the runway.
According to newly released data, the Radian One is capable of orbiting for 5 days and is fully reusable. Additionally, the new aircraft will have a quick turnaround time. Experts aim for the Radian One to conduct its next flight just 48 hours after landing.
The Radian One is designed to transport people and cargo to and from orbit. However, this spacecraft is also very useful right here on Earth. It has a capacity of 2,270 kg and can reach any location on the planet in less than an hour, according to a representative from Radian Aerospace.
Radian Aerospace has not disclosed further details about the Radian One, such as its size, maximum passenger capacity, and the expected start of operations. In the announcement on January 19, the company stated that it has signed launch service agreements with several private companies and government agencies, but did not specify names.
