This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://www.vanta.com/twist AssemblyAI. Get maximum value from voice data with AssemblyAI. Build powerful products and features for your end users on the industry’s leading speech-to-text models. Get 100 free hours to start building at https://www.assemblyai.com/twist * Todays show: Radian’s Richard Humphrey joins Alex to discuss the future of space travel, focusing on spaceplanes like the Radian One (2:05). The two dive into technological advancements (10:20), funding challenges (14:28), the potential to reduce orbital launch costs (47:56), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Radian’s Richard Humphrey joins Alex (2:05) Discussion on Richard Humphrey's aviation history and spaceplane development (4:22) Spaceplanes versus rockets: advantages and disadvantages (8:51) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (10:20) Spaceplane projects: historical context and current technology (14:28) Funding challenges and venture capital interest in space industry (17:14) Radian 1 spaceplane's rocket sled launch mechanism and specifications (20:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (25:28) Reusability and refurbishment process of the Radian 1 spaceplane (29:03) AssemblyAI - Get 100 free hours to start building at https://www.assemblyai.com/twist (30:33) Radian 1 project updates: recent tests and future timeline (39:00) Commercial model and government interest in horizontal launches (42:38) Orbital launches: future demand and space economy implications (44:49) Space launches: US and Chinese dominance, and potential for rapid cargo transport (47:56) Private orbital flights: cost, feasibility, and space tourism (53:19) Reducing orbital launch costs and the transformative potential of space access * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out Radian: https://www.radianaerospace.com * Follow Richard: X: https://x.com/RadianSpace LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardhumphrey⁠ * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (8:51) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (20:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (29:03) AssemblyAI - Get 100 free hours to start building at https://www.assemblyai.com/twist * Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916