Radian Aerospace Confirms It's Building a Single-Stage-To-Orbit Spaceplane: The Next Generation of Space Travel?

An impossible dream is taking one step closer to reality. Washington-based Radian Aerospace just announced they are building a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane, which can revolutionize the future of space travel. The announcement sparked excitement and skepticism among experts.

A single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane is a concept that many others have tried over these last few decades. Unfortunately, the technicalities of this vehicle proved to be too difficult and prompted the projects to shut down. Now, Radian Aerospace is taking up the challenge to make it a reality.

What is Single-Stage-to-Orbit Spaceplane?

In quick summary, a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane might look like the commercial airplanes in the local airport. Note that these vehicles are cheaper, sustainable, and fully reusable when compared to traditional rockets. Although they are smaller in size, they can provide quick and easy transportation anywhere around the world.

Radian said they would be using a concept known as the rocket sled launch to design the first-ever single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane. This means the rocket will launch horizontally by gaining speed on a ramp launcher, similar to a cannon. Inverse summarized the objectives for Radian's project:

• A rocket that takes off horizontally with a sled-assist
• A comfortable ascent with lower forces against the crew
• Smooth landings on any 10,000-foot runway
• The ability to land and re-fly in just 48 hours

Although the concept is simple enough to understand, the finer details of this design are very complicated. It faces a critical flaw that current rockets have faced.

NASA Rocket Staging

Note that most of the space vehicles available today use "rocket staging." This is a process of shedding weight by dumping engines and empty fuel tanks to overcome weight constraints and break past Earth's atmosphere.

For reference, the NASA Saturn V, which was used for Apollo missions, had three stages when it launched. This means the spaceship had to shed its engines three times as it climbed to space. According to NASA, its first stage lifted it to an altitude of 68 kilometers, the second stage on Earth's orbit, and the third stage outside the orbit to head to the Moon.

Radian Single-Stage-Orbit Spaceplane

Ideally, the Radian single-stage-orbit spaceplane will address all the issues found in the current model. It will be much cheaper because it will not shed "unnecessary" parts like the current models. However, it remains to be seen whether it can beat Earth's gravitational pull and reach space.

Christie Maddock, a lecturer in mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Strathclyde, called the announcement an "alluring concept." Maddock told Inverse that "the announcement by Radian Aerospace is exciting, mainly in that it means work in this field, towards this goal, is ongoing. What exactly that work is, and how successful they may be, is impossible to tell without knowing the technical details."

The spaceplane is still under development, so interested fans are recommended to wait for more updates which might drop later this year.