Google’s Sergey Brin isn’t the only billionaire taking up a lot of hangar space with an ambitious and massive aircraft construction project. For years, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has desired to make access to space more convenient and affordable, and from that the idea for Stratolaunch was born. On Wednesday, the world got its first look at the massive, 250-ton aircraft designed by Burt Rutan after it was rolled out of its hangar in Mojave, California, to begin fuel testing.
Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch Emerges from Hangar for Fueling Tests
Key Takeaways:
- Paul Allen's Stratolaunch, nicknamed "The Roc," is the world's largest aircraft (385-foot wingspan) designed to air-launch rockets for more convenient and affordable access to space.
- The massive 250-ton aircraft, powered by six Boeing 747 engines, will carry rockets like Orbital ATK's Pegasus XL between its twin fuselages, releasing them at 35,000 feet to deploy small satellites.
- The Stratolaunch recently rolled out for fuel testing and will undergo extensive ground and flightline testing, with its first launch demonstration projected for 2019.
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