Aevum's Ravn X Autonomous Launch Vehicle Begins Taxi Tests at Long Beach

The Ravn X autonomous launch vehicle has completed its first taxi tests at Long Beach Airport, according to a report from The Aviationist. Developed by Aevum, the aircraft was seen rolling out of a hangar and moving on the ground for the first time. Local enthusiasts noticed the activity and documented it.

The Ravn X is designed to carry a rocket-powered second stage that boosts a 100-kilogram payload into orbit. The aircraft is 80 feet long with a 60-foot wingspan and uses two afterburning turbofan engines to reach high subsonic speeds up to 60,000 feet. Aevum says the system offers responsive launch capability compared to traditional rockets such as Falcon 9 or Vulcan Centaur. The company distinguishes the Ravn X from air-launch methods like Northrop Grumman's Pegasus or Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne, noting that it accelerates the rocket through the atmosphere rather than dropping it.

The U.S. Air Force contracted Aevum in 2019 for the ASLON-45 mission, which includes multiple cubesats. The Ravn X had not flown since its planned first mission in 2021, and development progress became uncertain. The recent taxi tests indicate that work on the aircraft has continued, though no flight date has been announced.