The concept of a spacecraft that could take-off like an airplane, ascend into orbit, and return to earth landing on a typical runway originated in the early 1960's. Imagine – a launch vehicle that relies only propellants and fluids, no disposable parts, no major hardware shed from the launch and burned up in atmosphere, unrecoverable. The notion for such a space-plane represents the ultimate aspiration of any mission beyond our Earth's atmosphere. And for over half a century, despite tremendous research and development for the holy grail of space travel, this notion of a single-stage vehicle has remained purely theoretical.
Radian Aerospace
- Leadership
- Richard Humphrey, Co-Founder / CEO, Livingston Holder Co-Founder / CTO
- Location
- Bellevue, WA
- Sector
- Aerospace
- Year Invested
- 2021
- Status
- Private
Delivering on the decades-old dream of a single-stage, horizontal take-off rocket.
Radian Aerospace plans to upset this status quo. Imagine a world where rapid launch times enable greater space deployment. Imagine ascents into orbit that are low-G enough to allow for safe crew flights. Imagine taking off into space and returning on any standard runway. The team at Radian Aerospace is designing Radian One — a spacecraft built with breakthrough heat-shield materials, armed with cryogenic propellant tanks, employing aerodynamic designs crafted to enable smooth take-off and landing. Led with the technical expertise of Livingston Holder – a leader in the future space transportation sector and long-standing engineer – Radian Aerospace offers an unparalleled perspective on the future of reusability in space launch, unlocking what might be the future of our transportation into orbit and back again.