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, is building hangar and factory facilities in the Mojave Desert to construct what would be the largest airplane ever.
This colossal dual-fuselage carrier aircraft is designed to launch 490,000-pound rockets into orbit from an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet.
The project will utilize salvaged parts and six engines from two Boeing 747-400 aircraft, continuing the pioneering efforts of the SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo innovators in commercial space travel.

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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.