It’s not what I’m writing about this week, but an article in TechCrunch about a prototype space plane got my attention. And reminded me of a promising development of the 1920s that didn’t work out.
About a century back, someone named Max Valier had a good idea.
The Austrian physicist thought that transatlantic air service would be economically feasible.
He also thought that step-by-step addition of rocket engines to airliner design could lead first to vehicles that reach Earth orbit, and later make interplanetary trips.
He died when a rocket engine exploded.
Time passed, and now an American company, Radian Aerospace, is using a similar incremental approach. I think they have a good chance of finally providing affordable service to low Earth orbit, and beyond.
“Radian Aerospace completes ground tests of prototype space plane“
Aria Alamalhodaei. TechCrunch (September 25, 2024)“Radian Aerospace has moved one step closer to achieving the ‘holy grail’ of spaceflight: a reusable space plane that can take-off from an airfield and land on a runway like a conventional airplane. The startup just announced completion of a series of ground tests in Abu Dhabi earlier this summer.
“The tests were completed with a sub-scale prototype flight vehicle that the company is calling PFV01. The main purpose of the testing was to generate data on how the vehicle would fly and handle, and to compare this data to simulations the company’s been doing over the last several years. While the vehicle did not fly, it did perform a series of small hops on the runway, executives told TechCrunch in a recent interview.
“PFV01 is much smaller than the final vehicle at around 15 feet long, but the data still helps inform key pieces of the final design and flight control systems, like where the landing gear should be located, or where the center of gravity should be to maximize stability midair, cofounder CTO Livingston Holder explained….”
The Radian Aerospace space plane isn’t, I think, the ideal design — since it’ll be launched from a rocket-powered rail sled. But it still strikes me as a good idea.
I don’t know why they’re doing their test flights in Abu Dhabi. Maybe it’s because getting permission for each flight is easier there, and that’s another topic.
I’ve talked about sort of thing before:
- “Something New: Polaris Dawn Commercial Test Flight” (August 27, 2024)
- “Starliner, Dream Chaser, and Beyond: The Sky is Not the Limit” (June 8, 2024)
- “Single Stage to Orbit, Eventually” (December 17, 2022)
