Stratolaunch Images: Paul Allen's Giant Rocket-Launching Plane

Stratolaunch Test

Stratolaunch Systems Corp.

The world's largest airplane, designed to transport rocket launchers and satellites bound for low Earth orbit, hit a new milestone last weekend. The Stratolaunch carrier aircraft conducted runway tests on Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 25-26) at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California and achieved a taxi speed of 46 mph (74 km/h). Stratolaunch Systems Corp. aims to start test flights in 2019.

Stratolaunch Systems' Launch Vehicle Family

Stratolaunch Systems

Stratolaunch Systems plans to employ a family of four launch vehicles, all of which will be carried aloft by the largest airplane ever built.

Meet: Paul G. Allen

Stratolaunch Systems

Billionaire investor Paul G. Allen has launched a new company called Stratolaunch Systems to provide private space launches for people, cargo and satellites.

Drone's-eye view of the Stratolaunch Systems carrier plane

Stratolaunch Systems Corp.

A drone's-eye view of the Stratolaunch Systems carrier plane as it rolls out of its Mojave Air and Space Port hangar for the first time. The plane has a wingspan of 385 feet (117 meters), longer than a football field.

Stratolaunch Systems carrier plane

Stratolaunch Systems Corp.

The massive Stratolaunch Systems carrier plane for aerial rocket launches rolls out of its Mojave Air and Space Port hangar in Mojave, California for the first time on May 31, 2017. The aircraft will launch rockets from high-altitude.

Stratolaunch Taxi Tests: Take 2

Stratolaunch Systems Corp.

On Feb. 26, 2018, Stratolaunch rolled its massive carrier plane out to the runway at the Mojave Air and Spaceport in California for taxi speed tests.

Bennet Sell-Kline/Stratolaunch Systems Corp

Stratolaunch Systems took its monster carrier plane out for a taxi test drive on a runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port on Dec. 18. 2017.

Bennet Sell-Kline/Stratolaunch Systems Corp

Stratolaunch Systems took its monster carrier plane out for a taxi test drive on a runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port on Dec. 18. 2017.

stratolaunch-speed-milestone

Stratolaunch Systems Corp.

In recent tests, the Stratolaunch — the world's biggest plane by wingspan — reached new top speeds on the runway.

stratolaunch

Stratolaunch

The Stratolaunch double-bodied jet underwent its first test down the runway recently at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California

Burt Rutan and Paul Allen - SpaceShipOne

Scaled Composites

Aerospace designer Burt Rutan (left) and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (right). Rutan's company, Scaled Composites, designed SpaceShipOne, the privately-built suborbital rocket plane that snagged the $10 million Ansari X Prize in 2004. SpaceShipOne was bankrolled by Allen. Rutan retired from Scaled Composites in April 2011.

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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.