Aerospace and Rocketry Expert Franklin Ratliff Joins Titans Spaceplanes & Space Technologies as Founding Chief Technology Officer -

Franklin Ratliff has more than 40 years of experience with a deep and broad understanding of rocket engineering and all aspects of aerodynamic design
TSST is working on several groundbreaking space concepts, including a horizontal takeoff and landing, single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane
Titans Spaceplanes will operate like airplanes, with the major difference that they can deliver payloads to Low-Earth Orbit, and that they enable “from-orbit” space launches of spaceships and spacecraft

Titans Spaceplanes & Space Technologies (TSST), a new fully independent spin-off from Titans Space Industries, today announced that space industry analyst and expert Franklin Ratliff has joined TSST as its Founding Chief Technology Officer.

TSI recently finalized its feasibility study, and, based on the staggering conclusions, decided to spin off the project into a separate company: Titans Spaceplanes & Space Technologies (TSST). During the company's spaceplanes research that lasted more than fifteen months, the team realized that the company could dominate the space launch industry from the moment the first Titans Spaceplane becomes operational.

According to Fortune Business Insight, the global space launch services market will exceed $30 billion by 2030. While the company aims for a substantial chunk of the market, they expect $10 billion in annual revenue – 1/3rd of the global market. Once convinced of the spaceplanes technological and economic feasibility, TSI hired Franklin as an advisor, which ultimately resulted in an offer to join as founding CTO of TSST.

“We are truly fortunate to have Franklin join our executive team,” said Neal S. Lachman, Founding CEO of TSST. “Franklin's in-depth knowledge is uniquely encyclopedic and has already proven essential. We are convinced that Franklin and other members of our core technology and design review team, which consists of aerospace and rocketry experts and consultants, can make spaceplanes, on-orbit refueling, and deep-space travel, including safely landing on various terrain surfaces, happen in the very near future.”

The TSST team is borrowing heavily from the extensive research conducted by the genius engineers of the former Rockwell International aerospace company for the Star-Raker spaceplane. TSI and TSSI recently published an analysis, describing the concept in detail.

“I'm excited to join the TSST team as Founding CTO,” said Franklin, “Missile-type vertically launched rockets have run their course; spaceplanes and spaceships will be more efficient and reliable alternatives that will truly usher in the era of human space exploration and space industrialization.”

TSST and TSI will partner up to work on business development opportunities, including government relations. Initial funding of the TSST projects comes from Titans Astronauts, a group of ultra-high net worth individuals that are given lifetime space travel memberships.

In the coming months, TSST and TSI will establish two sites in the USA, one in Europe, and one in Asia for R&D, testing and manufacturing, and business development purposes. The companies are also dedicated to create a treasure trove of unique patents.

Due to the confidential nature of the projects, the founding team has decided to remain operating in stealth.

About Titans Spaceplanes & Space Technologies

The Titans Spaceplanes were first envisioned for the large space tourism and orbital infrastructure projects that Titans Space Industries (TSI) is preparing, including its own commercial space station. These projects require long-term routine operations comparable to commercial airline/ airfreight operations.

TSI's was founded by a group of partners with a combined 450 years of experience. The founding team includes a PE fund manager who raised more than $6 billion in capital, a Hall-of-Fame NBA basketball legend, a billion-dollar business strategist, a former MD of a Big 4 firm, and the former CFO of a Formula One racing team. The team brings more than 450 years of combined experience, and has worked more than a combined 200 years together on other projects. In 2020, the team halted all other projects to mainly focus on TSI's space and directly related projects due to their time- and capital intense nature.

The TSI founding team consists of fifteen professionals; twelve of them, became the founding members of TSST. They are joined by a number of aerospace experts as co-founders.

About Franklin Ratliff

Franklin Ratliff has more than more than 40 years of experience with aerodynamics and rocketry, during which he has developed a deep and broad understanding of rocket engineering and all aspects of aerodynamic design.

Franklin has been a frequent commentator and contributor in various forums and media on space analysis, with a focus on the difficulties of space flight during ascent and descent between ground level and the top of the atmosphere.

Spaceplanes have long held a particular fascination for Franklin, having developed his first concept for a private suborbital spaceplane in 1980. Franklin also keeps up with past and current proposals for interplanetary flight and lunar bases.