Space Traveling Could Be Possible By 2030s Says Startup Exodus

Exodus AstroClipper Spaceship

The scheduled trip is just a plane taking off and landing, except this is a space trip going around the Earth. The startup has placed a hefty booster at the spacecraft's back end. This will help to get it into the orbit and give AstroClipper the required speed push to break out of the Earth's atmosphere.

As part of the tests, Exodus will be demonstrating its technology in 2022. This would keep the AstroClipper within the Earth's atmosphere, but it would eventually push off into the suborbital and orbital space. If everything goes right and human-rating regulations are achieved, the AstroClipper would be ferrying passengers in the 2030s.

The company's first test vehicle, namely AstroClipper Pico, will launch a drone-size craft to 10km in altitude to check if the technology works. If all the funding and development goes according to the plan, the AstroClipper Pico should fly in about 2022.

Ferrying Passengers

Exodus CEO Miguel Alaya has been working on this private project over the past 10 years, reports Space.com. He noted that Exodus will focus on ferrying human passengers only after the company feels confident if it can launch it reliably and regularly. "Once our concept is well understood and we have a strong track record of success, we will start focusing on human-related applications," he said.

The company believes that if the initial testing goes according to plan, it can further raise funds and begin the first suborbital flights, using a Cessna-size spacecraft, called AstroClipper Nano. With developmental tests in hand, the company aims to target three markets including suborbital research and development, hypersonic research and also faster point-to-point transport for the government and commercial clients.

Space Traveling: Early Stages Of Development

Alaya acknowledges that the AstroClipper series of vehicles are in an early stage of development right now. "Looking at the market for the last 10 years, we have a strong understanding of what things we can work or not, and in addition, we are not new to space or the aerospace industry," he said.

Once the Nano model begins testing, the company plans to deploy two more models of the spaceship, which would eventually carry 1,200 kg of cargo into space by 2030. Ultimately, the company's final target is the AstroClipper Max that would ferry up to 20 passengers in the 2030s. Those looking for a trip to space can begin gearing up!