While much attention is focused on space as orbit develops into a thriving business ecosystem, Radical is bringing things a little closer to Earth, but not too close. Its high-altitude, solar-powered aircraft aims to succeed where Facebook's infamous Aquila failed by honing its technology and reaching more markets.
It's hard to believe that Facebook's ambitious plan to use solar-powered planes to provide internet access to far-flung places began 10 years ago. However, that dream fell apart when the project fell through, but the concept remained.
Ultralight aircraft in the stratosphere could theoretically stay in the air almost forever by powering their propellers from solar panels. Load it with sensors, communications equipment, or anything else, and you've got a versatile mobile asset unencumbered by orbital mechanics or chaotic weather patterns.
Radical CEO James Thomas suggested the technology isn't ready yet.
“We've been interested in these high-altitude, high-end aircraft for a long time,” he told TechCrunch in an interview. “This is not a new idea, but in the last few years many of the supporting technologies have become very mature, including batteries, solar power, and even advanced computing. Look at the current state of battery technology. It has almost doubled. [of Aquila’s]. This puts us in a very strong position. ”
The Seattle-based startup has raised $4.5 million in a seed round to move from a small demonstration aircraft that recently flew 24 hours a day to a full-fledged aircraft. This full-sized spacecraft has a wingspan of about 100 feet, but weighs “as much as a human,” which I interpreted to mean 100 to 200 pounds.
Radical's founders maintain a subscale demonstrator.
Getting a full-sized aircraft into the stratosphere is Radical's main goal, but that hasn't stopped them from exploring possible use cases.
“We think what we are developing is a platform for persistent airlift infrastructure,” he said, but that is for use cases where assets in orbit are not practical. is. For example, orbital images of areas at risk of wildfire may arrive once an hour, but it is too slow for a rapid response. However, high-altitude aircraft can also provide 24/7 live surveillance for several weeks in a row or change position to track emerging threats.
For telecommunications, Starlink is rapidly emerging as the solution of choice for connectivity in remote areas, but it has important limitations, including the need for precise ground infrastructure. There are many cases where flying 5G stations are a better option (although the backhaul still needs to be solved).
Radical was one of my picks from Y Combinator's early 2023 batch, and at the time I wrote:
I always thought the idea was appealing, but I hadn't yet found a business model for it. The ability to connect anywhere could be the new big differentiator for mobile networks. Satellite is convenient, but I'm sure it will be expensive and crowded. Why not a giant glider? That's equally weird, but I appreciate the ambition.
Apparently I was right!
One of the great benefits of working in the stratosphere, Thomas noted, is that the regulatory burden is significantly reduced. Over heavily monitored urban and commercial airspace, operations are much easier and approvals can be obtained quickly.
Radical isn't the only company considering this. Airbus' AALTO project aims to fill a similar gap in communications range, and the Sky-Dweller's much larger platform (600 kilograms with battery alone) is poised to enter surveillance and intelligence roles through a partnership with Palantir. It is said that
Thomas said their advantage comes from close relationships with the companies they work with, who “want to actually use the system.” So it's not a one-size-fits-all platform, but it's also not purely bespoke. It's up to the customers (as he called them, but they're not the paying type yet; the company isn't making any money yet).
The goal for now is to fly within the next 12 months, proving that a full-sized aircraft can fly, and perhaps putting it in a position to start accepting funding.
The seed round was led by Scout Ventures, with additional funding from investors including Inflection Mercury Fund and Y Combinator.