Inversion set to launch reentry demonstrator with SpaceX this October
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 22, 2024
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.

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