PD Aerospace is a Japanese startup that is trying to build reusable spaceplanes.
They want to reduce the cost of access to space by 100 times.
They want to create sub-orbital space tourism.
They want their first space plane flying tourists to suborbital altitude by 2023.
They have raised about $5 million (520 million yen) in funding.
Primary uses of funds
・Development of a new type of engine (jet-rocket combustion mode switchable engine) and its practical application
・Development of three types of experimental unmanned planes; X05, X06, and X07
*X07: Total length 8 meters, gross weight 3.5 tons, unmanned suborbital plane with the capability of reaching 100km
The engine can switch from air-breathing mode – where the engine burns liquid propellant with atmosphere air to generate exhaust – to rocket mode, where the engine will switch to on-board oxidizer – to generate thrust. It can fly from a runway and reach suborbital altitudes.
Development Spaceplane type
Spaceplane type Full length Payload Height Main applications Multipurpose observation aircraft Unmanned 5m 50m 50m〜10km Observation Suborbital aircraft Unmanned 8m 100kg 100km Microgravity test High altitude atmospheric observation Suborbital aircraft Manned 14.8m 1000kg (6+2people) 100km Space tourism Suborbital aircraft +Air launch rocket Manned T.B.D. 200kg 400~500km (Sun-synchronous orbit) Orbit insertion of micro satellites
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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$5m is a weird sort of amount to go into this with. Nowhere near enough to do anything more than some CAD work and a few powerpoint slides, but far more than you would expect from a kickstarter style bunch of amateurs.
$5m is a weird sort of amount to go into this with.Nowhere near enough to do anything more than some CAD work and a few powerpoint slides but far more than you would expect from a kickstarter style bunch of amateurs.
Rotavator shuttle.
So they’re at flying an EDF powered F-18 large scale model. Are they live firing their PDE, because it doesn’t seem like it. If they aren’t doing engine firings then this is mostly fluff…
They should give it to Focus Fusion, instead.
Rotavator shuttle.
So they’re at flying an EDF powered F-18 large scale model. Are they live firing their PDE because it doesn’t seem like it. If they aren’t doing engine firings then this is mostly fluff…
They should give it to Focus Fusion instead.
EDF ≡ electric ducted fanPDE ≡ pulse detonation engineDid I get those two right? Sorry… I’m terrible with unreferenced acronyms.Just askingGoatGuy”
Just need the cable…
Agreed. Seems like its off by 2 orders of magnitude.
EDF ≡ electric ducted fan PDE ≡ pulse detonation engine Did I get those two right? Sorry… I’m terrible with unreferenced acronyms. Just asking, GoatGuy
Just need the cable…
Agreed. Seems like its off by 2 orders of magnitude.
Is anyone working on a spaceplane that would be a second stage on top of a SpaceX style reusable 1st stage?
Is anyone working on a spaceplane that would be a second stage on top of a SpaceX style reusable 1st stage?
Ahem… like the Space Shuttle? (Goat ducks, tomatoes and dead cows, INCOMING!!!) GoatGuy
Correct, I probably should have pointed out those acronyms since there are uncommon. There are F-18 large RC models of that size for sale, usually with twin EDF propulsion to look more like a Super Hornet, but there are hobby microturbines available at that size. Regrettably, I failed to notice they have modified the model craft to have a single engine exhaust, which suggests the possibility of a proper microturbine, but their current literature does not suggest they are testing the PDE on this craft. Which makes one wonder why they are building it in the first place since it doesn’t seem to represent a very high speed fuselage form. usually you want to run bench engine tests on teh ground, then fly a propulsion demonstrator, which this model could have provided if the PDE is integrated correctly. But if you wanted a low speed flying demonstrator, why not something simple like something in a V-1 pattern? Easier to service/modify the engine if it’s podded.
They could learn a thing or two from Scaled.
Ahem… like the Space Shuttle?(Goat ducks tomatoes and dead cows INCOMING!!!)GoatGuy”
Correct I probably should have pointed out those acronyms since there are uncommon.There are F-18 large RC models of that size for sale usually with twin EDF propulsion to look more like a Super Hornet but there are hobby microturbines available at that size. Regrettably I failed to notice they have modified the model craft to have a single engine exhaust which suggests the possibility of a proper microturbine but their current literature does not suggest they are testing the PDE on this craft. Which makes one wonder why they are building it in the first place since it doesn’t seem to represent a very high speed fuselage form. usually you want to run bench engine tests on teh ground then fly a propulsion demonstrator which this model could have provided if the PDE is integrated correctly.But if you wanted a low speed flying demonstrator why not something simple like something in a V-1 pattern? Easier to service/modify the engine if it’s podded.
They could learn a thing or two from Scaled.
It’s not easy to get a large sum right from the start. They need to show some progress first. $5M may be enough for a preliminary design study, maybe run some sims, and build a scaled-down model or two.
It’s not easy to get a large sum right from the start. They need to show some progress first. $5M may be enough for a preliminary design study maybe run some sims and build a scaled-down model or two.
They can barely get a passenger jet off the ground….. how will they do this.
They can barely get a passenger jet off the ground….. how will they do this.
They can barely get a passenger jet off the ground….. how will they do this.
They can barely get a passenger jet off the ground….. how will they do this.
It’s not easy to get a large sum right from the start. They need to show some progress first. $5M may be enough for a preliminary design study, maybe run some sims, and build a scaled-down model or two.
It’s not easy to get a large sum right from the start. They need to show some progress first. $5M may be enough for a preliminary design study maybe run some sims and build a scaled-down model or two.
They can barely get a passenger jet off the ground….. how will they do this.
It’s not easy to get a large sum right from the start. They need to show some progress first. $5M may be enough for a preliminary design study, maybe run some sims, and build a scaled-down model or two.
Ahem… like the Space Shuttle? (Goat ducks, tomatoes and dead cows, INCOMING!!!) GoatGuy
Ahem… like the Space Shuttle?(Goat ducks tomatoes and dead cows INCOMING!!!)GoatGuy”
Correct, I probably should have pointed out those acronyms since there are uncommon. There are F-18 large RC models of that size for sale, usually with twin EDF propulsion to look more like a Super Hornet, but there are hobby microturbines available at that size. Regrettably, I failed to notice they have modified the model craft to have a single engine exhaust, which suggests the possibility of a proper microturbine, but their current literature does not suggest they are testing the PDE on this craft. Which makes one wonder why they are building it in the first place since it doesn’t seem to represent a very high speed fuselage form. usually you want to run bench engine tests on teh ground, then fly a propulsion demonstrator, which this model could have provided if the PDE is integrated correctly. But if you wanted a low speed flying demonstrator, why not something simple like something in a V-1 pattern? Easier to service/modify the engine if it’s podded.
Correct I probably should have pointed out those acronyms since there are uncommon.There are F-18 large RC models of that size for sale usually with twin EDF propulsion to look more like a Super Hornet but there are hobby microturbines available at that size. Regrettably I failed to notice they have modified the model craft to have a single engine exhaust which suggests the possibility of a proper microturbine but their current literature does not suggest they are testing the PDE on this craft. Which makes one wonder why they are building it in the first place since it doesn’t seem to represent a very high speed fuselage form. usually you want to run bench engine tests on teh ground then fly a propulsion demonstrator which this model could have provided if the PDE is integrated correctly.But if you wanted a low speed flying demonstrator why not something simple like something in a V-1 pattern? Easier to service/modify the engine if it’s podded.
They could learn a thing or two from Scaled.
They could learn a thing or two from Scaled.
Is anyone working on a spaceplane that would be a second stage on top of a SpaceX style reusable 1st stage?
Is anyone working on a spaceplane that would be a second stage on top of a SpaceX style reusable 1st stage?
Just need the cable…
Just need the cable…
Agreed. Seems like its off by 2 orders of magnitude.
Agreed. Seems like its off by 2 orders of magnitude.
EDF ≡ electric ducted fan PDE ≡ pulse detonation engine Did I get those two right? Sorry… I’m terrible with unreferenced acronyms. Just asking, GoatGuy
EDF ≡ electric ducted fanPDE ≡ pulse detonation engineDid I get those two right? Sorry… I’m terrible with unreferenced acronyms.Just askingGoatGuy”
Ahem… like the Space Shuttle?
(Goat ducks, tomatoes and dead cows, INCOMING!!!)
GoatGuy
Correct, I probably should have pointed out those acronyms since there are uncommon.
There are F-18 large RC models of that size for sale, usually with twin EDF propulsion to look more like a Super Hornet, but there are hobby microturbines available at that size. Regrettably, I failed to notice they have modified the model craft to have a single engine exhaust, which suggests the possibility of a proper microturbine, but their current literature does not suggest they are testing the PDE on this craft. Which makes one wonder why they are building it in the first place since it doesn’t seem to represent a very high speed fuselage form. usually you want to run bench engine tests on teh ground, then fly a propulsion demonstrator, which this model could have provided if the PDE is integrated correctly.
But if you wanted a low speed flying demonstrator, why not something simple like something in a V-1 pattern? Easier to service/modify the engine if it’s podded.
They could learn a thing or two from Scaled.
Rotavator shuttle.
Rotavator shuttle.
Is anyone working on a spaceplane that would be a second stage on top of a SpaceX style reusable 1st stage?
So they’re at flying an EDF powered F-18 large scale model. Are they live firing their PDE, because it doesn’t seem like it. If they aren’t doing engine firings then this is mostly fluff…
So they’re at flying an EDF powered F-18 large scale model. Are they live firing their PDE because it doesn’t seem like it. If they aren’t doing engine firings then this is mostly fluff…
They should give it to Focus Fusion, instead.
They should give it to Focus Fusion instead.
Just need the cable…
$5m is a weird sort of amount to go into this with. Nowhere near enough to do anything more than some CAD work and a few powerpoint slides, but far more than you would expect from a kickstarter style bunch of amateurs.
$5m is a weird sort of amount to go into this with.Nowhere near enough to do anything more than some CAD work and a few powerpoint slides but far more than you would expect from a kickstarter style bunch of amateurs.
Agreed. Seems like its off by 2 orders of magnitude.
EDF ≡ electric ducted fan
PDE ≡ pulse detonation engine
Did I get those two right? Sorry… I’m terrible with unreferenced acronyms.
Just asking,
GoatGuy
Rotavator shuttle.
So they’re at flying an EDF powered F-18 large scale model. Are they live firing their PDE, because it doesn’t seem like it. If they aren’t doing engine firings then this is mostly fluff…
They should give it to Focus Fusion, instead.
$5m is a weird sort of amount to go into this with.
Nowhere near enough to do anything more than some CAD work and a few powerpoint slides, but far more than you would expect from a kickstarter style bunch of amateurs.