Stratolaunch, the brainchild of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has a wingspan of 117 metres, 28 wheels and uses 747 jet engines.
This huge twin-fuselage aircraft has already done tests rolling down the runway, with the plane hitting a top speed of 74km/h, Stuff.co.nz reports.
Space News says the plane will need to reach taxi speeds of up to 128km/h and then 222km/h during its next round of testing.
There is a reason the plane is so big – it’s being designed to carry as many as three rockets, tied to the belly of aircraft, to about 1066 metres.
Once in the air, the rockets will drop, fire their own engines and deliver satellites to orbit.
The plane is linked with a new space shuttle program codenamed ‘Black Ice’.
{ A Channel9 release || April 24, 2018 |||
