RENTON, Wash. — If you already thought the space industry was pretty crowded — think again.
There appears to be room for one more. Radian Aerospace has entered the scene in hopes of making the "first fully reusable horizontal takeoff and landing, single-stage to orbit spaceplane" a reality.
According to the company, it's on track to push forward the development of Radian One which will be fully reusable and have the ability to be reflown within a 48-hour time period.
"We believe that widespread access to space means limitless opportunities for humankind," said Richard Humphrey, CEO and co-founder of Radian Aerospace. "Over time, we intend to make space travel nearly as simple and convenient as airliner travel."
The company's goal is to fill both efficiency and capability gaps that its leaders believe exist with traditional vertical rockets. The solution? Aircraft-like operations.
Radian One will have the ability to fly to space, perform a mission, return back to Earth and refuel for its next trip, according to a press release. Projected operations will include delivering both people and "light cargo" to low Earth orbit.
"We are not focused on tourism, we are dedicated to missions that make life better on our own planet, like research, in-space manufacturing, and terrestrial observation, as well as critical new missions like rapid global delivery right here on Earth," said Humphrey.
Radian Aerospace says it already has launch service agreements on the books with commercial space stations, cargo companies and in-space manufacturers.
The winged spacecraft, while different, is bound to draw similar comparisons to Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane, which looks like a mini space shuttle.
It's a multi-mission space utility vehicle that was designed to take both crew and cargo into low-Earth orbit. According to Sierra Space, the spaceplane is capable of flying at least 15 missions and carrying up to 12,125-pound payloads.
You can learn more about Radian One and its progress here.
