The Stratolaunch carrier aircraft, built by Scaled Composites for Paul Allen's company Stratolaunch Systems, is designed to carry rockets up to high altitude, secured between the plane's two fuselages, and launch them to space from there. The mid-air launch technique could significantly reduce the costs of launching payloads to orbit by avoiding the need to launch from the ground and overcome all of Earth's gravity with rocket fuel. First, however, the gargantuan twin-fuselage, composite aircraft needs to get airborne.

Stratolaunch took a major step toward first flight this past weekend with the plane's first low-speed taxi tests. The tests, conducted at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, mark the first time the biggest plane in the world by wingspan moved down the runway under its own power. The aircraft's six Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, cannibalized from two 747-400s, all powered up to propel Stratolaunch slowly down the runway.

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The primary purpose of the taxi tests were to evaluate the aircraft's ability to steer and brake. Multiple systems were monitored throughout the tests, including anti-skid and telemetry in addition to steering and braking. The ground team reported all of these systems operated as expected.



“This was another exciting milestone for our team and the program," said George Bugg, aircraft program manager of Stratolaunch Systems, in a press release. "Our crew was able to demonstrate ground directional control with nose gear steering, and our brake systems were exercised successfully on the runway. Our first low speed taxi test is a very important step toward first flight. We are all proud and excited."

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The aircraft testing team first fired up all six engines on Stratolaunch in September. A series of engine tests followed, conducted from Stratolaunch's new Mission Control Center in Mojave. The Stratolaunch team will now test communications systems in the control center, which will ultimately serve as the hub for flight and launch operations.

Stratolaunch will continue running low-speed taxi tests as it prepares to increase the speed of the test runs down the runway. After high-speed taxi tests, the enormous composite bird will almost be ready to take to the skies, eventually carrying rockets into the stratosphere to launch to space.

The Stratolaunch carrier aircraft during its first taxi tests in December 2017. Stratolaunch Systems

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