Inversion, established in 2021 to innovate rapid terrestrial delivery via reentry vehicles, has set Ray, its pilot technology demonstrator, for an upcoming launch aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9. Slated for the Transporter-12 Rideshare mission, Ray is scheduled to ascend no earlier than October 2024. This venture aims to refine crucial technologies for a forthcoming advanced vehicle under development by Inversion.
Justin Fiaschetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Inversion, shared, "Ray was developed at a minimal cost while we continue to invest in our future vehicles. Its inaugural mission signifies a critical progression towards normalizing space returns. Emphasizing cost-efficiency is fundamental to our mission's success."
Post-launch, Ray will orbit Earth to undergo a series of operational tests. Following this, it will execute a de-orbit burn through its 8 lbf thrust bipropellant rocket engine, CE-1, ultimately reentering the atmosphere at 17,800 mph. Ray is engineered to deploy a parachute, also internally developed, to reduce its descent speed to 12.5 ft/s for a splashdown near California.
Austin Briggs, Co-Founder and CTO of Inversion, explained, "Ray serves as a prototype for technology tests intended for our next-generation vehicles. Building nearly all subsystems in-house for both the capsule and service module expedites our developmental pace, furthering our objective of integrating space as a routine transport layer."
Inversion aspires to position space as the fourth fundamental transport domain, unrestricted by national borders, offering unparalleled potential benefits.
