Stratolaunch Breaks Ground on Hangar for Largest Airplane Ever

Bethany Whitfield

Friday, February 03, 2012 at 12:09 AM ET

Verified

** An artist's illustration of the Stratolaunch
airplane**

Key Takeaways:

Stratolaunch Systems, a venture by Paul Allen and Burt Rutan, has broken ground on facilities in the Mojave Desert to build what will be the world's largest airplane for space tourism.
This massive dual-fuselage carrier aircraft is designed to launch a 490,000-pound rocket into orbit from an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet.
Construction has begun on a 92,640 sq ft hangar and an 88,000 sq ft factory, with the hangar expected to be completed by mid-2013.

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Stratolaunch Systems, the new space tourism venture launched in partnership between billionaire Paul Allen and legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan, has broken ground on a hangar facility in the Mojave Desert intended to house what would be the largest airplane ever.

The hangar facility will span 92,640 square feet and is slated for completion in mid-2013. The plane it will encompass will be built at the Mojave Air & Space Port, where Stratolaunch is assembling an 88,000-square-foot factory specifically for the purpose.