Radian Aerospace completes ground tests of prototype space plane
Radian Aerospace completes ground tests of its PFV01 prototype space plane in Abu Dhabi, moving closer to 2028 target for full-scale flights.
Radian Aerospace has successfully completed ground tests of its PFV01 prototype space plane in Abu Dhabi. These tests gathered valuable data on how the sub-scale vehicle would fly and handle, which will inform the final design and flight control systems of the Radian One space plane.
The PFV01, at around 15 feet long, performed a series of small hops on the runway, allowing the team to adjust critical design elements such as the center of gravity and landing gear location. Cofounder and CTO Livingston Holder emphasized that the main goal is to reduce uncertainty and improve the fidelity of analytical processes through real-world feedback.
Radian One aims to take off from a rail sled, ignite its engines on orbit, and return to Earth on a conventional runway. The company, which has raised $27.5 million from notable investors, plans to start actual flight testing soon and aims to begin full-scale flights by 2028.