Photos: Stratolaunch Systems Corp.

You can’t be a Silicon Valley billionaire without having your own initiative to build a big-ass aircraft. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is most definitely a Silicon Valley billionaire and today, he proved that by pulling the world’s largest airplane out of its hangar for the first time.


Allen first announced the Stratolaunch way back in 2011. Test flights were supposed to begin in 2016, but that deadline came and went. Aerospace engineer Burt Rutan and his team have been hard at work on the massive airplane all this time. Though no test flights were performed today, we did get our first look at this bad boy in tons of hi-res photos that will put a smile on the face of anyone who fancies aircraft porn.


Being the largest airplane in the world would be enough to make the Stratolaunch interesting in its own right, but its intended use is what makes it so cool. Today was reserved for fueling tests but when its operational, the plane will hopefully fly into low Earth orbit and launch a Orbital ATK’s Pegasus XL rocket into space. The rocket is designed to carry small satellites that weigh up to 1,000 pounds into orbit. One the Stratolaunch hits an altitude of 35,000 feet, the rocket that’s tethered to its belly will finish out the journey. If Allen’s full ambitions are realized, the company will be able to send crewed missions into space at a lower price than Russia is charging NASA.



Get ready for a dump of technical specs: The Stratolaunch has a wingspan of 385 feet (wider than the Spruce Goose), it uses six 747 jet engines, sits on 26 wheels, can carry 250,000 pounds of fuel—and weighs half a million pounds without fuel. In order to take off, it needs about 12,000 feet of runway. Most commercial aircraft require around 8,000 feet of runway.




In a statement, Stratolaunch’s chief executive, Jean Floyd said that ground tests and flight tests will be conducted “over the coming weeks and months,” and its first launch is set for 2019. Floyd also said that the company is “actively exploring a broad spectrum of launch vehicles that will enable us to provide more flexibility to customers.”

[Stratolaunch via Washington Post]