Radian Aerospace Wants to Build ‘Holy Grail’ Spaceplane

A Washington-based startup says it’s planning to build what has long been considered the “Holy Grail” of accessing space: the world’s first reusable single-stage orbital spaceplane aimed at carrying cargo and people.

Jeremy Kariuki

Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 12:26 PM ET

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An artist’s rendering of Radian Aerospace’s fully reusable horizontal takeoff and landing, single-stage to orbit spaceplane flying over Earth. [Courtesy: Radian Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Radian Aerospace has emerged from stealth with $27.5 million in seed funding to develop the world's first reusable single-stage orbital spaceplane.
The "Radian One" spaceplane is designed for horizontal takeoff and landing, aiming to rapidly transport cargo and humans to low-Earth orbit (LEO) with a turnaround time as short as 48 hours.
Considered the "Holy Grail" of space access, Radian seeks to provide a low-cost and highly responsive space transport solution, having already secured launch service agreements with various governments and commercial space stations.

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In a statement Wednesday, Radian Aerospace said it had “emerged from stealth” after raising $27.5 million in seed funding, led by Fine Structure Ventures. Other investors included EXOR, Helios Capital, Explorer 1 Fund, and several more.