Stratolaunch, currently the world’s largest airplane, has successfully completed its first test flight on Saturday morning above California’s Mojave desert. Boasting a wingspan of 385 feet, it flew for 2½ hours at altitudes up to 17,000 feet, while hitting a top speed of 189 miles per hour. It comes equipped with two fuselages and six Boeing 747 engines that are designed to launch rockets from the air. That’s right, it can carry rockets up to 35,000 feet and then drop them. Read more for two videos and additional information.
“The company has had various partnerships, as well as internal plans, for the rockets that Stratolaunch will carry. SpaceX was one of the company’s earliest partners but Stratolaunch later switched to a contract with Northrop Grumman-owned Orbital ATK to fly the Pegeasus XL rocket. Stratolaunch’s plan to develop its own fleet of rockets was scrapped in January,” reports CNBC.
