Image: Stratolaunch Systems official website
On Wednesday, May 31, the world’s largest aircraft to date rolled out of its hangar in the Mojave Desert for the very first time.
Built by Stratolaunch Systems, a company built by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the Stratolaunch aircraft was designed and built to send rockets into space by carrying them into the air, with its six 747 aircraft engines and then launching them mid-flight.
Stratolaunch weighs over 200,000 kilograms (500,000 pounds) without fuel, a wingspan of 385 feet, and stands at 238 feet tall. With fuel, it can weigh up to almost 600,000 kilograms (1,300,000 pounds). For its first mission, Stratolaunch will be carrying the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL vehicle.
But before anything else, the plane will spend months running ground tests which include engine runs and taxi tests to name a few before it even receives clearance to get off the ground. These are all to ensure safety that the Stratolaunch will actually be capable of flying on its maiden flight, scheduled sometime early 2019.
“This is a first-of-its-kind aircraft, so we’re going to be diligent throughout testing and continue to prioritize the safety of our pilots, crew and staff,” writes the company on their official website.
Other attempts to launch rockets into space from an aircraft include the LauncherOne program from the company Virgin Orbit. Their approach makes use of a more conventional 747-400 plane called Cosmic Girl and carries rockets with satellite payloads on its wing.
The completion of the Stratolaunch is another step forward in having cheaper methods of delivering satellites and other payloads into space. It’s also another step into making low Earth Orbit more accessible to other industries such as commercial travel. JB