Ravn X is the World’s First Autonomous Launch Vehicle
The Ravn X Autonomous Launch Vehicle was unveiled virtually on Thursday. Raven X is described by developer Aevum as the world’s largest Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) by mass that is designed to deliver satellites to space as fast as every 180 minutes.
“Aevum is completely reimagining access to space. The current definition of rocket science doesn’t work for us. With Aevum, everyone will be able to say, ‘It is rocket science and I can do it'."
Jay Skylus, founder and CEO of Aevum.
Aevum has developed what some say is an entirely new paradigm for space access: Autonomous Launch. Autonomous Launch, unlike ground launch or air launch, involves a global, fully-autonomous, self-flying, self-managing, self-operating intelligent "autonomous launch architecture" working in concert to deliver payloads from any terrestrial origin to any space destination in low Earth orbit.
The autonomous launch architecture optimizes every launch, taking into account variables including weather conditions, air traffic, orbital destination, payload weight, ground crew schedules, and other complex logistics processes to provide an end-to-end seamless service, autonomously. Critical to the Autonomous Launch architecture is the autonomous launch vehicle (AuLV), which operates without a pilot and only requires a one-mile runway and an 8,000 sf hangar for operation.
AuLV’s use standard jet fuel and work just like an airplane. With its fleet of autonomous Ravn X vehicles, Aevum will offer on-demand scheduling of precision orbital deliveries, as fast as every 180 minutes, 24/7, with no risk to human life. After making its delivery to low Earth orbit, the UAS simply returns to Earth, autonomously landing safely on a runway and parking itself in the hangar.
Ravn X is the only small launch vehicle that has been built from the ground up initially as reusable-70% reusable, with plans for the aircraft to be up to 95% reusable in the near future, according to Aevum.
Aevum’s customer and mission partner, The United States Space Force, will also take part in the Ravn X unveiling. “I’m excited to see the bold innovation and responsiveness in development today by our small launch industry partners to support emerging warfighter needs” said Lt. Col. Ryan Rose, Chief of the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Small Launch and Targets Division at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “The U.S. Space Force is proactively partnering with industry to support U.S. space superiority objectives. Having a robust U.S. industry providing responsive launch capability is key to ensuring the U.S. Space Force can respond to future threats.”
“Aevum is completely reimagining access to space. The current definition of rocket science doesn’t work for us. With Aevum, everyone will be able to say, ‘It is rocket science and I can do it.’ Aevum is pushing logistics to the next generation with software and automation technologies,” said Jay Skylus, founder and CEO of Aevum. “U.S. leadership has identified the critical need for extremely fast access to low Earth orbit. We’re faster than anybody. To me, space is merely a vantage point from which the next generation can commit global progress. Through our autonomous technologies, Aevum will shorten the lead time of launches from years to months, and when our customers demand it, minutes. This is necessary to improve lives on Earth. This is necessary to save lives.”
(Image provided with Aevum news release)