Meet the Arc spacecraft: it aims to deliver cargo anywhere in the world in an hour

"The test spacecraft, with a mass of about 200 pounds (90 kg) performed well, Fiaschetti said. It demonstrated the capability to raise and lower its orbit, and remains power positive to date, periodically checking in with Inversion flight controllers. However, the spacecraft will not make a controlled landing. "Ray won't be coming back," Fiaschetti said. "We're doing long-term testing of software on orbit.""

"Arc is a lifting body spacecraft, and it will do the majority of its maneuvering in the atmosphere, where it has 1,000 km of cross-range capability during reentry. It will land under parachutes and therefore not require a runway. Because the vehicle's propulsion system uses non-toxic materials, a soldier can approach it immediately after landing without any protective gear."

""We like to describe this as mission-enabling cargo or effects," Fiaschetti said. "This could be a wide variety of specific payloads, anything from medical supplies to drones to what have you. But the key discriminator is, does this make a difference in the moment it's needed when it gets back down to the ground? You know, for the military and national security, if they need their cargo before the fight is over.""

The test spacecraft weighed about 90 kg and demonstrated the ability to raise and lower its orbit while remaining power positive and periodically checking in with flight controllers. The spacecraft will not perform a controlled landing and will remain on orbit for long-term software testing. Inversion is moving into production of the larger Arc vehicle, roughly four feet wide and eight feet tall, with a target launch by the end of 2026. Arc is a lifting-body reentry vehicle with about 1,000 km of cross-range, parachute landings that require no runway, and non-toxic propulsion that allows immediate approach after landing. Mission-enabling cargo could include medical supplies, drones, and other payloads, and a full-scale manufacturing development unit of Arc's primary structure has been built.

Read at Ars Technica