Inside the world's largest plane, which has a wingspan longer than a football field and is expected to make its first flight this year

Mark Matousek

March 4, 2019 6:21 PM

YouTube / Stratolaunch

Stratolaunch was founded by the late Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft.

The Stratolaunch is the world's largest aircraft.
Its 385-foot wingspan is longer than a football field.
Since it was unveiled in June 2017, the Stratolaunch has undergone a series of tests before its first flight, which is planned for this year, Stratolaunch told GeekWire .
In January, the Stratolaunch YouTube page posted a video of runway tests that saw the aircraft reach a top speed of around 137 mph.

The world's largest plane is so big, it needs two fuselages with separate cockpits.

It's called the Stratolaunch , and it's designed to launch rockets into space in what is known as low-Earth orbit , which means the spacecraft is between 99 and 1,200 miles above the Earth's surface. (Most space flights, as well as satellites and the International Space Station, are in low-Earth orbit.) Paul Allen the late founder of the company that makes the Stratolaunch, also called Stratolaunch hoped to launch a rocket the size of a NASA space shuttle one day, according to the Washington Post .

Since it was unveiled in June 2017, the Stratolaunch has undergone a series of tests before its first flight, which is planned for this year, Stratolaunch told GeekWire . In January, the Stratolaunch YouTube page posted a video of runway tests that saw the aircraft reach a top speed of around 137 mph.

Here's a look at the Stratolaunch, and why businesses might want to use it.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng