When you think of going to space, images of powerful rockets taking off from a launch pad probably come to mind. Now, one startup wants to change that by developing a spacecraft that would take off directly from a runway like an airplane.
Radian Aerospace, a Washington-based aerospace group, announced last month that it had secured $27.5 million in funding to develop the “first fully reusable horizontal takeoff and landing” space plane, a press release from the company said.
The crafts would be single stage, which means no pesky boosters to accidentally jettison into the Moon. It would also be fully reusable, thereby cutting down the costs of space travel even more.
“We believe that widespread access to space means limitless opportunities for humankind,” Richard Humphrey, CEO and co-founder of Radian, said in the release. “Over time, we intend to make space travel nearly as simple and convenient as airliner travel.”
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